


Time Changes Everything

by Violet_Rose_Of_Darkness



Category: Justice League & Justice League Unlimited (Cartoons)
Genre: Adult Content, Adulthood, Attempted Rape/Non-Con, Awkward Conversations, Awkward Flirting, Awkward Romance, Awkward Sexual Situations, Awkward Tension, Awkwardness, Bisexual Female Character, Childhood Rivalry, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/F, F/M, Falling In Love, Flashbacks, Implied Sexual Content, Invasion of Privacy, Jealousy, Mates, My writing is cringy af so..., Opposites Attract, Past Relationship(s), Slow Burn, Stalking, WonderBat Child, awkward everything, but they're all grown up, cuz thanagarians have mates idk, lots of love, the league has KIDS now, why is that not a tag
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-30
Updated: 2020-06-24
Packaged: 2020-11-08 13:48:02
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 27
Words: 61,231
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20836487
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Violet_Rose_Of_Darkness/pseuds/Violet_Rose_Of_Darkness
Summary: Rex Stewart and Sophia Wayne have hated each other since they were children. But when Rex is tasked with picking Sophia up at the airport and sees her for the first time in years, something's changed between them. Rex is hardheaded and temperamental and Sophia is arrogant and secretive; can they overcome this and find their way to each other? Or will they go their separate ways?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Bet you 5 bucks that you aren't reading this right now. If you are (I owe you 5 bucks and) you should know that this is the trashiest fic I've ever written. And to those of you who have been with me since the beginning, you know that's saying a lot. Also, caution, things will be heating up later in the story, but I usually don't write that so it'll probably be awful. One more thing, WonderBat and GreenHawk are established, but they will not be the focus. I don't want reviews asking for more Diana and Bruce or Shayera and John because whatever I give you is most likely all you get.
> 
> Anyway, please enjoy!

Rex's fists tightened around the steering wheel as he pulled up in front of Gotham City Airport. What should have been a fifteen-minute trip had taken him forty-five and he was in a less than stellar mood. What made it worse was that the traffic hadn't even been necessary; just a bunch of dumbasses who didn't have a clue on how to drive.

It wasn't frigging rocket science.

After a few moments of silently fuming, Rex got out of his car and- after slamming the door a little harder than he should have- made his way inside of the airport. He shouldn't have been there in the first place, but of course, his mother had to insist. Damn, it wasn't his fault that everyone else was too busy.

How did picking up Sophia fucking Wayne from the airport even fall to him? Last time he checked, the spoiled brat had a mother, father, aunt, three brothers, a cousin, an honorary sister, and an actual butler (and those were just the people he knew about). Why couldn't one of them pick her up?

Oh wait, he knew why; his mother enjoyed making him miserable.

"'Go get Sophia from the airport,' she said," Rex muttered to himself as he practically stomped inside the massive building, mimicking what his mother had told him earlier that morning. "'I'm sure she'd love to see you,' she said. Bullshit." He was regretting this already. Scratch that, he had regretted this since the moment he stepped out of the house.

Well, the joke was on her; Sophia was probably less excited about seeing him than he was about seeing her.

The truth was that the two of them had absolutely detested one another in their adolescence. There were two years between them, but that didn't stop him from tugging on her pigtails. Nor did it stop her from 'accidentally' throwing her She-Ra action figures at his head whenever she got the chance.

The animosity between them had seemed to follow them throughout their childhood. And yes, perhaps he- as the older one- should have acted more maturely toward her, but in his defense, Sophia had been such a bratty know-it-all. Not only that, she had been bossy as hell, always telling him and the other kids what to do and how to do it.

Could anyone blame him for getting a little fed-up?

Alright, maybe he wasn't completely innocent. Hiding bugs in her shoes and calling her nasty names probably had something to do with why she had hated him. He supposed he couldn't blame everything on her. She was, after all, the younger one.

Since he was now twenty-five, the brat had to be around twenty-three now. He hadn't seen her since she was sixteen, the try-hard somehow graduating high school at that age. From what his mother had told him, she had somehow convinced Uncle Bruce and Aunt Diana to allow her to attend college in France of all places. And now that she was done with her schooling, she was looking to become a lawyer in Gotham.

Rex massaged his temples as he searched the airport lobby for thick, black glasses, dark hair tied up in a ponytail, and a giant sweater. That was, after all, how he had remembered the girl. She had been quite the nerd when they were children and he was sure that hadn't changed.

Much to his dismay, he saw no one fitting that description among the people meeting up with their loved ones. Of course, this was going to be difficult. Nothing involving Sophia Wayne was ever simple.

Rex aggressively took his phone out of his pocket and dialed his mother's number. He knew it was selfish since she was in the middle of an off-world mission, but he was much too pissed off to really care.

She picked up on the third ring. 'What is it Reginald?' his mother's voice snapped at him.

"Mom, I can't find her," he complained, cringing slightly at how whiny he sounded. Maybe he was being unnecessarily difficult. "Why did I have to get her again?"

He could practically feel her glaring at him. 'You called me for that? You do realize Diana and I are in the middle of trying to negotiate peace, right? You know so that Armonians don't declare war on Earth?'

Rex actually felt a little sheepish, but he was unwilling to relent. "I know that, but-"

There was a tap on his shoulder. "Excuse me."

He started as he realized that someone was trying to get his attention. "Hang on a second, Mom," he said, holding the phone away from his ear. This was, apparently, a smart move since his mother decided to shout profanities at him.

'Reginald Stewart-!'

He promptly put her on hold and turned to the person behind him. "How can I..." He felt his voice falter in his throat as he came face-to-face with the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.

Her long dark, wavy hair fell to her waist, framing her delicate face. Her sapphire eyes were intelligent and sharp, but they were also wide and almost innocent. Her narrow nose was accented by her high cheekbones and full, red lips. Her body was both perfectly curved and muscular, defined by her black tank top and matching leggings.

She was absolutely gorgeous.

The woman looked slightly concerned. "Are you okay?" she asked, waving a hand in front of his face.

Rex quickly snapped out of his lustful reverie. "Yeah, of course," he lied smoothly. His eyes quickly darted up to his eyes and he prayed that she didn't notice him blatantly ogling her (he must have seemed like a goddamn pervert). "Just fine. What did you need, Miss?"

Her plump, red lips curved into a smirk. "I just wanted to see if it was really you, Reginald Stewart."

The look on his face when he finally put it together was nothing short of priceless.

Sophia Wayne valiantly tried to keep a straight face as Rex gawked at her for a good two minutes. She liked to think of it as her finally getting under his skin instead of the other way around. It felt damn good to get him back in the most unexpected way. She mentally gave her childhood self a fist bump as she reveled in the small victory that she would have adored in her youth.

However, her face on the outside betrayed none of this. "Reginald, I don't mean to rush you, but don't you think we should be going?" she suggested innocently. "The traffic must be dreadful and I assume that you want me out of your hair as soon as possible."

Rex seemed to snap out of whatever stupor he was in. "Yeah," he murmured. "Yeah, sure." He numbly picked up her suitcase up and made his way toward the door.

Sophia tilted her head, her haughtiness being replaced by confusion. "I can carry that myself, you know," she casually reminded him. Did he somehow forget that she was the daughter of Wonder Woman?

He glanced back at her. "Well, you just got off of a seven-hour flight," he stated obviously. "Aren't you tired or at least jet-lagged?"

Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "Maybe a little...?" Alright, back-track. Where was the Rex Stewart who would pull on her pigtails and throw mad at her? Where was the boy who would call her a know-it-all and promptly tell her to screw off? He wasn't at all like she remembered him. Or if he was, he was putting up a front around her. And it was a front she was unfamiliar with.

This... this was uncharted territory.

She closed her eye for a moment; 'Drill 4B: When in uncharted territory, proceed with caution. Take note of the surroundings and behaviors. Do not panic.'

Her mother's teachings echoed in her head and Sophia felt herself relax. This wasn't a fight in another country or planet, it wasn't even her first day of college. It was only Rex Stewart, her childhood asshole. And by Hera, if she couldn't handle him she had no right to call herself an Amazon.

Sophia raised her chin and followed him out to his car.

OoOoOo

"So, Aunt Shay roped you into picking me up?"

"Something like that," Rex told her stiffly. Upon close study, she noticed that the corner of his mouth twitched in annoyance. So, he hadn't been happy about acquiring her from the airport. Interesting. Perhaps he was still holding a grudge from all those years ago. She wouldn't put it past him; Rex was as hardheaded as they came.

Sophia filed this knowledge away for later. "Well, thank you," she replied. She may have never liked the man next to her, but her mother and Alfred would skin her alive if she didn't remember her manners. "My mother told me that you would be waiting for me. They're both off-world, right?"

He nodded. "They're trying to set up a peace treaty for the Aramuniones and Earth," he answered.

The young woman rolled her eyes. "Hera, they've been a problem since we were kids," she recalled. She remembered that her mother had been at her wits' end with her diplomacy missions there. She had been very close to throwing the Prime Minister out of the nearest window.

"Well, they're close to reaching an agreement now," Rex informed her. He seemed intent at not looking at her for some reason or another. "At least, that's what Mom told me."

Sophia hummed in acknowledgment. "Well, that's good," she commented. She glanced at him for a moment before turning her attention back to the road. From what she could tell, he didn't seem hellbent on provoking her so far, but she knew that could change in an instant. If he changed his mind, she was ready with a sling of her own insults.

She decided to change the subject. "What have you been doing lately?" she asked innocently. She may have been the child genius when they were children, but she knew that Rex had been no slacker. With his honor roll grades and football skills, he was bound to have gotten a scholarship.

Rex shrugged at her. "Finished my first four years," he told her. "Have no idea what I want to study, though. You just finished law school, right?"

Sophia nodded. "Oui," she accidentally answered in French. Her cheeks burned slightly when she realized her mistake. "Sorry, I mean, yes. The head of our team of lawyers is retiring and my father said he would appoint me in his place."

Silence hung in the air after that, but Sophia didn't know if it was awkward or necessary.

She took a moment to really study the man next to her. He hadn't changed much since she last saw him so it hadn't been hard to single him out in a crowd. His hair was still buzzed and it didn't seem like he had gotten much taller, his eyes were a pretty shade of green and his voice hadn't deepened that much.

However, one change was painfully clear; Rex was ripped.

The fabric of his shirt clung to him, highlighting the six-pack he was now sporting. The muscles of his arms slightly bulged as he gripped the steering wheel, his strong hands keeping a firm grasp on it.

Sophia blushed, averting her gaze in embarrassment. What did she think she was doing, ogling the enemy? What was wrong with her? She had seen a number of men (and women) in France and she had handled herself just fine; what made him any different? Her eyes narrowed as she mentally scolded herself.

Handsome or not, Rex Stewart was still a monumental jackass (probably); she would not be swayed by his ruggedly good looks.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Omfg, two kudos and a comment. That's way better than on FF. Thank you to Lloyd_RPGFan and B for your attention to this stoy. Anyway, I hope you liked it and please review!

Rex's entire face was warm.

Sophia wasn't just attractive, she was HOT. He could feel his skin flush red hot as his pants suddenly became much too tight. He wanted to kick himself; it felt like he was a teenager again, turned on by anything with boobs. This just didn't make sense. Sure, Sophia's mother was arguably the most beautiful woman on Earth, but who had given her permission to grow up into that?

He had to force his eyes to stay on the road. He was afraid that if he looked at her, she would know that he found her pleasing to look at. 'Stewart, snap out of it!' he chastised himself. No matter how pretty she was now, she was still the annoying little kid he had grown up with. Nothing could change that.

He just had to drop her home, return to his apartment, and drown himself in a cold shower. Should have been simple enough, right?

No, the woman- as talkative as ever, to his dismay- just had to engage in conversation. Well, he may have wanted to get as far away from her as possible, but who was to say that the notorious tattletale wouldn't snitch on him to his mother? She'd always been a snitch.

He felt himself relax slightly as they finally pulled up to Wayne Manor; he could finally get rid of the woman next to him and take that shower. The property was as dark and looming as he remembered it; how a person as bright as Aunt Diana had been able to live there for almost thirty years was beyond him. If he was being honest, the place had always given him the creeps. Just another reason to avoid Sophia Wayne.

Speaking of Sophia, she turned to give him a hesitant smile. "Well, this is my stop," she announced, popping the door to his blue convertible open. "Thanks again for giving me a ride."

Rex cleared his throat, trying to ignore the implications of that statement. "Don't sweat it," he replied.

An awkward silence hung between them.

"Well, um, bye," said Sophia hurriedly, climbing out of the passenger's seat and closing the door. She waved at him before ascending the stone steps that led to the front door. He watched- all but forcing his eyes not to drift downward- as she knocked on the large oak doors, her butler Alfred answering it. They embraced and began to talk to one another.

They were too far away for him to hear what they were saying, but Rex could see that Sophia was suddenly annoyed. She put her hands on her hips and Alfred had merely raised an eyebrow at her. She huffed before stomping down the steps and back to the car.

Rex opened his glove compartment so she wouldn't know he had been spying.

"Reginald," she almost snapped at him, her arms crossed over her chest. He looked up at her face and almost laughed; her nose was twitching.

Her nose always twitched when she was upset.

His amusement ended, however, when the urge to kiss her cute nose crept upon him. Why was he acting like this? Yes, Sophia was breathtakingly beautiful, but he had seen plenty of beautiful women in his twenty-five years of life. What made Sophia goddamn Wayne so special?

Rex noticed with a start that she had begun to talk again, so he forced himself to pay attention to her.

"-wants me to invite you to stay for dinner," Sophia finished. "As a thank you for picking me up."

Really, all Rex wanted was that shower, but he would never hear the end of it from his mother if he declined (especially since she had a soft spot for Alfred). Besides, he would have to be crazy to decline Alfred's cooking. The man knew his way around a kitchen.

"Sure," he answered her. It was a simple reply, but it eerily felt like he was making a deal with the devil.

Sophia was cursing in French under her breath as she led Rex into the house.

Stupid Alfred and his insistence on hospitality. She had been so close to being rid of the man's presence, but her grandfather figure had been insistent on her goddamn manners of all things. She was twenty-three for Hera's sake; why did he feel the need to lecture her on her manners? There was also the fact that she had just come off of a seven-hour flight, you'd think she could have a few moments to herself.

"Alfred, I'm tired," she complained, following the former secret service agent into the kitchen after sitting Rex down at the dining room table. "Can't I rest a bit and have dinner later?"

Alfred leveled her with a scolding glare. "I'm afraid not, Miss Sophia," he drawled sarcastically. "If I allow you to sleep now, your body won't get used to the time difference. You've been on France time for seven years, after all. And your brothers may give you anything you want but I, young lady, will not bend to your will like them. So your attempts to get rid of our guest, I'm sorry to say, are futile."

Sophia huffed and crossed her arms as if she were thirteen again. "Alfred~" she whined, pursing her lips into a pout.

"If you're not going to help prepare dinner, Miss Sophia, then I suggest you go entertain our guest."

Sophia nearly stomped her foot in frustration but thought better of it. Throwing a temper tantrum had never gotten her her way with Alfred and she doubted it would now. So, she spun on her heel and retreated into the dining room.

She made sure that there was an empty seat separating her and Rex as she plopped down into it. And then, she felt shame begin to creep up the back of her neck. She was acting like a tremendous brat and she couldn't help but feel embarrassed by it. Rex hadn't done anything to her yet, so she had no idea why she was being so hostile toward him.

Hera, this was so awkward. She almost wished he would pick a fight with her, anything to relieve this tension between them. "Alfred's making steak and mashed potatoes," she finally piped up. "Hope that's okay."

Rex, who had seemed to be in a daze, tensed as he turned his attention to her. "Oh, yeah," he hurriedly responded. "Cool. That's cool." He glanced away from her again.

Sophia's fingers curled into a fist. "Okay, Stewart, what the hell is your problem?" she finally snapped. It was one thing to not be an asshole anymore, but why was he acting like this? Rex had never been shy, nor had he ever been awkward. She, for the life of her, couldn't figure it out. Why had he done a complete one-eighty on her?

His green eyes darted to her. "W-What do you mean?" he asked, swallowing thickly.

"You've been acting like a weirdo ever since you saw me in the airport!" she reminded him vehemently. "I know it's been seven years, but I haven't changed that much!" Really, all she had done was ditch her glasses and sweaters and let her hair down from the ponytail she used to wear it in. What was the big deal?

She crossed her arms and sat back, waiting for the stinging retort that she knew was resting on his lips. She prepared herself, shielding her heart as she readied it for the harsh words she knew were about to come.

Only, they never came.

Instead, Rex shrugged at her. "Sorry," he muttered.

What the fuck?

Never in her sixteen years of growing up with him had Sophia ever heard Rex apologize to anyone save for his parents. He hadn't apologized to cutting the hair of her She-Ra action figure when she was five, he hadn't apologized for tripping her at McDonald's when she was eight (they had been left with Uncle Wally for the day), and he hadn't apologized for ruining-

She stopped her train of thought right there. Now was not the time. Right now, she had to focus on the unknown enemy that was sitting one seat away from her.

Sophia blinked, refocusing her thoughts. "I, uh, it's fine, I guess," she relented, the tension leaving her shoulders. Real smooth, Wayne. Real fucking smooth. "I just don't understand why you're acting so strange."

He shrugged again. "I wish I knew," he replied.

Sophia said nothing as she fiddled with her fingers. He really didn't know. Understanding washed over her as she finally understood what was going on with the man next to her.

Whatever was stopping him from detesting her again, she could feel it too. The years of anger and resentment and sorrow he used to stir within her was gone completely. Of course, she hadn't expected it to rule her life, but she hadn't thought it would just vanish. She used to curse his name every chance she got, used to have to run into the bathroom to force herself not to cry from his latest taunt. All of that didn't just go away.

Something had changed between the two of them without their knowledge and she wasn't sure it was a good thing.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Omfg, 4 kudos! Thanks so much and please enjoy!

Sophia had never been fond of steak, but nothing Alfred made could ever turn out bad, so she had no qualms about eating it now. She looked around the house she hadn't occupied in seven years and found that things hadn't changed much. The mahogany dining table was still the same; dark and smooth, but it was slightly more faded than it had been. She shifted in the large, grand chair that she hadn't been able to fit in until she was six. Her eyes settled on their single guest who hadn't said a word since the food had been brought out.

Weirdo.

Alfred was acting as if he hadn't just been scolding her as if she was eight years old. "How was your flight, Miss Sophia?" he asked her.

She almost glared at him but thought better of it. "It was fine," she answered. "I don't know why Dad wanted me to take a private jet, flying on a regular plane was pretty okay." Of course, she had been flying first class, but Rex had always called her a spoiled brat. So she didn't mention it.

"Airplanes are a formality for you anyway," Alfred replied, a humorous glint in his eyes.

Despite herself, Sophia smiled. "True," she agreed. Really, she could have been here in an hour or two (perhaps less) using her powers. Her smile fell, however, as the implication of the conversation hung in the air.

She hadn't set foot in her childhood home for seven years.

Guilt churned in her stomach as she raised her glass to her lips as an excuse not to talk. There was a reason she had never come home. Her graduating early hadn't been because she was a 'know-it-all.' Surprisingly, it wasn't because of the man next to her. No, she'd had much bigger problems than him at the time.

The doorbell rang, bringing her out of her reverie. "I'll get it, Al," she readily volunteered, already halfway out of her chair. Truth be told, she was looking for an excuse to leave the table.

As she made her way to the door, Sophia vaguely wondered who it could be; her parents wouldn't ring the bell and neither of them was due back until tomorrow. Perhaps one of her brothers? But they never rang the doorbell either since they all had keys.

She opened the door and recoiled as her eyes settled on someone she hadn't spoken to in seven years.

The woman across from her had curly, chestnut hair and warm chocolate eyes. Light freckles were dusted across her small button nose that rested above her plump lips. She was thin and a little short, but she was also very lean.

Immediately, Sophia was sixteen years old again; insecure, hormonal, and a bundle of anxiety and nerves. The only bright spot in her life back then had been this woman. She had been her best friend, her confidant, and- most prominently- her lover.

The woman grinned at her. "Hey, Angel," she greeted as cheerful as ever. "It's been a while."

Sophia cleared her throat, quickly composing herself. "Hi, Danica," she responded, waving. She viciously stomped down on the erratic emotions- lust, adoration, and heartache- threatening to resurface. "What are you doing here?"

Danica put her hands on her hips. "Well, my best friend is back in the country after seven years, haven't you heard?" she drawled sarcastically, her eyebrow raised.

Sophia flinched. "I didn't think you wanted to see me," she responded quietly. And why would she? That last time they had talked to one another, it had ended in screaming, crying, and heartbreak. Danica had very plainly stated that she hated her. And the worse part was that it had been all her fault.

Sophia bit her lip as she felt Danica run her slender fingers through her hair. The African-American girl brushed a few strands away from the back of her neck and gently placed butterfly kisses on the sensitive skin. "Danica," she murmured, her eyes fluttering at the sensation. This was the worst way to tell her, she knew. She should have said something earlier that day or earlier that week or even earlier that month because that was how long she had known.

"Yes?" Danica hummed against her neck, her hands tracing the girl's curves.

Sophia forced herself to pull away, putting a few inches between them. "I need to tell you something," she said firmly, hoping she would catch on to how serious she was.

Danica seemed to sense something was off because her lips formed a thin line. "Is there something wrong?" she asked carefully. "You aren't hurt, are you?"

She shook her head. "No, nothing like that," she answered. "but it's important. Please promise me you'll listen until the end before you say anything." She just hoped that she wouldn't blow up at the news she was about to present to her.

"I... okay," Danica agreed, her brown eyes glancing around nervously. "What's up?"

Sophia took a deep breath. "You know how I've been applying to colleges?" At the girl's nod, she continued, "Well, I got accepted to the one I really wanted..."

Danica beamed at her. "Soph, that's great!" she exclaimed. "Which one was it? Harvard? Columbia? Brown? Princeton? God, I can't wait to visit you in your fancy, Ivy League college dorm."

Sophia sighed. "Sorbonne University," she responded. She watched Danica, waiting for the girl to put the pieces together. For the Fastest Woman Alive, she could be so slow at times.

Danica's eyebrows furrowed. "Sorbonne University?" she repeated. "That's in France..." Her eyes went wide. "You're going to college in France?"

"Yes." She waited for ten seconds, then fifteen. She counted all the way to forty-five when it came.

"What the actual fuck, Sophia?"

Sophia flinched. "Danica-" she tried. This was what she wanted to avoid; she didn't want to do this the night before she left the country.

"Don't 'Danica' me," snapped Danica. "When were you going to tell me that you applied for a college 3,000 miles away? Don't you think this is something I should know?"

"I didn't know how to tell you," Sophia replied miserably. "Please, please don't be angry with me."

"Why?" demanded Danica. "Why do you have to go to college in France of all places? Rhode Island, New York, Massachusettes, I can be there in less than two minutes. But fucking France, Sophia? Really? Do you really want to get away from me that badly?"

Sophia's eyes went wide. "What? No! I'm not leaving you, Danica!" She sighed, forcing herself to calm down. "I just want to get away, okay? I want to start somewhere fresh."

Danica glared harshly at her. "Does Rex goddamn Stewart bother you that much? You know he's a fool with nothing better to do. Does he get on your nerves so much that you have to leave the country?"

Sophia went quiet at that. "This isn't about Rex," she hissed. "I don't care about him, he's no one. This is about me, Danica. I want to meet new people and make something of myself. I just want to do something with my life for once."

Danica continued to glare at her before shaking her head, her curls bouncing as she did so. "You know what? I'm out of here."

Sophia felt her throat constrict as the girl turned her back. "Danica," she called desperately, reaching out to her. "Danica, please wait." She didn't want to leave things like this; she was hoping that she'd be able to get the girl to see things from her perspective.

"Leave me alone, Sophia," Danica bit out at her. "Don't talk to me, I hate you!" She stomped out of the room, slamming the door behind her.

Sophia was about to go after her, but stopped, dropping her arm. Maybe this was for the best. Perhaps it was time for the two of them to part ways. After all, she was leaving tomorrow. What would be the point of fixing things only to break them again?

Danica waved her off. "Please, that was seven years ago," she reminded her. "I'm so over it." However, the slight flash in her eyes told Sophia otherwise. Danica had never been one to let go of a grudge, she could stay mad at someone for the rest of her life if she wanted to. "I just missed you."

Despite herself, Sophia smiled. "I missed you too." She wanted to bring the girl in for a hug, but she didn't know if they were quite ready for that. "Do you want to come in? Alfred made steak."

Danica smirked. "Well, who am I to deny Alfred's food?" She stepped inside, following Sophia as she had done so many times before.

Sophia bit her lip as her thoughts wandered to her other dinner guest. She hoped that she hadn't just made a colossal mistake.

OoOoOo

It was no secret that Rex and Sophia had absolutely despised one another as children. However, there was someone that he had hated even more. Yes, that was somehow possible. Where Sophia had been annoying, she had been spiteful. Where Sophia's words had been stinging, hers had been cutting. Where Sophia had been defensive, she had been offensive.

And that person just so happened to walk into the room.

Rex tensed, his eyes narrowing slightly in contempt. Of all the people to show up out of nowhere, why did it have to be Danica Williams?

As children, Danica and Sophia had always worked as one unit. You very rarely saw one without the other. Danica was Sophia's 'Right-Hand' so to speak, forever standing by her side or close by. Sophia was seldom left alone.

Naturally, Danica had seen him as her enemy.

Did he cut the hair off Sophia's She-Ra action figure? She had done an excellent job of tearing the arm off his Iron-Man action figure. Had he gotten mud on Sophia's favorite dress? She made sure that his favorite sneakers were drowned in mud. Danica may as well have been Sophia's royal guard.

You would think that she would let up once Sophia had gone to France. Unfortunately, that hadn't been the case.

It was as if Danica hated him more now than when they were children. It seemed like her words dripped with actual venom intended to kill him. There had been an almost violent row between them a few years ago. They hadn't talked since.

Every Thanksgiving, the founders of the Justice League got together with their children. This year was no different even though the children were all adults. Rex rolled his eyes as he pulled at his collard shirt; why had he agreed to this again? Oh yeah, his mother had enforced the law of 'you live under my house, you follow my rules.' It wasn't as if the twenty-year-old, only two years out of high school, could very well argue with that.

At least he had Jon. The two of them had been friends since before he could remember. The man was the only thing that kept him grounded with this crazy family. Though, some things had been considerably easier without Sophia around. She had been gone for two years and it had been the most peaceful time of his life.

Speaking of his friend, Jonathan Kent entered the room with his father. He almost rolled his eyes as he saw Jon smile and hug every one of his aunts and uncles. He always had to be the golden boy. Rex was about to make his way over to him when a voice stopped him.

"Do you feel proud of yourself?"

He stopped and turned around to see Danica Williams herself, the adopted daughter of Wally West. He internally groaned; he had no patience for her right now. "What is that supposed to mean?" he demanded.

Danica glared up at him. "You finally got rid of Sophia, just like you always wanted. Are you happy?" Her voice cracked as if sobs were threatening to escape her throat.

Rex raised an incredulous eyebrow. "How the hell is Sophia leaving my fault?" he snapped. Why did everything concerning that girl have to be blamed on him? "She's the one who wanted to go to France. Why don't you jump down her throat instead of mine?"

Her fingers curled into a fist. "She only left because you made her life miserable!" she argued. "You took her from me!"

He tensed, glancing around to see if anyone was paying attention. The Kent's- with their super-hearing- had picked up on their spat but were pretending not to notice. Aunt Diana's eyes would dart from Uncle Bruce to them every few seconds, so she had apparently heard them as well. Uncle Wally, Uncle J'onn, and his parents hadn't noticed anything yet and he intended to keep it that way.

Rex turned his attention back to the girl in front of him, his eyes narrowed with irritation. He knew why Danica was upset; everyone knew that she and Sophia had been screwing behind their parents' backs. But just because she wasn't getting laid anymore didn't mean she got to take it out on him. "Look, I'm sorry your bed buddy's gone," he bit out spitefully. "but that has nothing to do with me. Did you ever think it was you she was trying to get away-?"

He didn't get to finish that sentence before she clocked him in the jaw.

In an instance, Aunt Diana had gotten between them while Uncle Wally restrained his daughter. Rex was much too shocked to do anything as he just stared at her. Of all the years of hate between them, neither he nor Danica or Sophia had resorted to violence. This was because they all had superpowers and could seriously hurt one another. It was like an unspoken rule between them.

Danica had just broken that rule.

Aunt Diana turned to look at him, her eyes a bit sad but never lacking the light they always contained. "Rex, dear, are you alright?" she asked gently.

Actually, his jaw throbbed like a bitch, but he wasn't about to admit that. "I'm fine, Aunt Di," he answered. "Thanks." He glanced around her to see that Uncle Wally was practically dragging Danica out by her arm, his expression the angriest he had ever seen.

It was then that Rex realized that Sophia leaving hadn't made anything better. No, things were worse now. Much worse.

Danica stopped when she saw him. Her brown eyes settled on him for a moment before she promptly walked out of the room. Sophia blinked in surprise before glancing at him. "Did I miss something?" she inquired, her eyebrow quirking in confusion. "Danica would never miss out on a chance to insult you."

Rex just shrugged at her. "You've been gone for seven years, Princess," he reminded her. "Things have changed."

She scowled at him and crossed her arms. Her pouting used to grate on his nerves when they were children, but he found it fucking adorable at the moment. "I told you never to call me that again," she snapped.

He shrugged again. "Some things just stick." The corners of his mouth twitched, threatening to form a smirk. "Don't you think you should go after her?"

Sophia shook her head. "No, I think I'll give her time to cool off," she decided. "She's much more reasonable when she has time to herself." Her mouth formed a grim line. "Did something happen between you two? It looks like she hates you more now, which makes no sense."

Rex grimaced at the memory; should he tell her? He had been wondering about it for a few years. "She thinks that I drove you away," he revealed. He searched her face for any kind of reaction, but her expression remained blank. "Did I?"

Sophia closed her eyes for a moment. When she opened them, they were an icy blue instead of their usual sapphire color. "No, it wasn't you," she answered. "Well, it mostly wasn't you. The lack of your presence was just an added bonus."

Compared to her childhood insults, that may as well have been a compliment. "Well, it was quiet here without you," he retorted. "Guess that's out the window now."

They glared at each other for a moment before they both burst into laughter. Sophia's face turned red as their giggles filled the room. "Hera, we were so dumb!" she exclaimed. "Why did we hate each other so much?"

He shrugged. "I have no idea," he admitted. Looking back, they both looked like stupid, petty little kids. "What even made us hate each other?"

She seemed to think about this for a moment. "That's a good question. It's like we just disliked each other as soon as we met, which was when I was a baby. I wonder what set that off?"

Rex grinned. "Maybe you pulled on my hair."

Sophia smirked. "Or you took my bottle."

"Or you threw it at me."

"Or you teased me with a cookie."

They began to laugh again and the tension in the room seemed to dissipate. This... was simple. Sophia may have been a smartass, but she was witty and easy to talk to. "Well, I'd better go check on Danica," Sophia volunteered. "Do you need anything else?"

Rex stood up. "No, I'm fine," he answered. "In fact, I better get going. Mom's gonna want a full report of how today went. You know you're her favorite."

Sophia snorted. "I think I remind her of herself." Because God knew that she was the complete opposite of her own mother. "Well, I'll see you around, Reginald."

He childishly stuck her tongue out at her. "See you around, Princess." He walked himself to the door while Sophia went to quell Danica's temper tantrum.

As Rex reached his car, he felt his skin flush red from head to toe. Never in his life had he gotten along so well with Sophia Wayne, so he had never noticed certain things about her. Like how her nose wrinkled when she was confused. Or how her laugh traveled throughout the room, essentially lighting it up.

What the hell was wrong with him?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was longer than I ever wanted it to be. Anyway, please review!


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please enjoy!

Sophia found Danica residing in her childhood room, settled on the bed. "Are you quite comfortable?" she drawled sarcastically. Leave it to Danica; the girl had no sense of privacy or personal space. At least, if she did, she didn't bother using it. Sophia leaned against the door frame, her eyebrow arched questioningly. "Are you gonna tell me what that was about?"

Danica turned up her nose. "Rex Stewart isn't worth my time," she answered. "I knew that if I said something, it would just start a fight. And no one wants that, especially not after..." She trailed off here, her eyes flashing with guilt.

Well, this caught Sophia's attention. "After...?" she pressed, approaching the other woman; she'd always had a knack for mischief. "Danica, dear, what did you do to him?"

The speedster wrinkled her nose. "Thanksgiving," she replied. "I may have socked him in the jaw about five years back..."

Sophia was taken back by this since the two of them had never gotten into a physical altercation with Rex. She was the strongest one in their group aside from Jonathan Kent; she could have ended up hurting him. She supposed that was why he had never hit one of them either. Danica had crossed a line and she knew it. "Danica, we don't-"

"I know we don't hit, Soph," Danica snapped at her. "I was just mad, okay? You were gone and I was mad and he was the only one I could blame. So fucking sue me for lashing out."

Sophia's mouth formed a thin line. "I didn't leave because of Rex," she told her again. She had said these words seven years ago and again just a few minutes ago. And they were true for the most part. Sure, Rex was an asshole, but she didn't have to deal with him all the time. In fact, he had been becoming less of an annoyance as they grew older.

Danica glared at her. "Well, what else am I supposed to think?" she bit out. "You still haven't told me why you left. I was the closest person to you; if I didn't know, who did?"

The young woman flushed her embarrassment. "I'm sorry for that," she attempted to amend. "I know that wasn't right." Shame crept up the back of her neck, as she averted her eyes from Danica's. The woman had every right to be mad at her. The fact that she was talking to her right now was a miracle. "I don't know how I'll be able to make it up to you."

A warm hand came up to touch her cheek, caressing the skin there. "You can make it up to me now," Danica whispered, tilting her head up.

"Danica..." whispered Sophia, a sudden desire running through her. There was that feeling again like she was sixteen and riddled with hormones. The woman in front of her had such an effect on her

"Oh, Soph," murmured Danica as she leaned down to gently connect their lips. Her hands grasped Sophia's hips, firmly keeping her in place. "Mm, you're so warm and soft. I've missed this."

Warning bells went off in Sophia's head. 'Stop it, you stupid bitch! This isn't right, this isn't healthy! Stop kissing her, you fool! If you don't stop now, you never will!' These thoughts, however, went out the window when Danica's tongue licked her bottom lip, asking for entrance. And, like the horny idiot she was, Sophia readily gave it to her. Her mind seemed to go blank as her sexual instincts took over. She ran her hair through Danica's curly locks, savoring the silky feeling.

Her senses promptly came back to her when she felt Danica fiddle with the hem of her shirt.

Sophia immediately pushed her away, her arms protectively crossed over her chest. "Danica, I-" she tried, but words seemed to fail her at the moment. The desire burning in her was valiantly fighting against the logical side of her brain. "You, we can't-"

But Danica closed the distance between them again. "Of course we can," she insisted. She pushed Sophia onto her bed, straddling her hips as she climbed on top of her. She cupped Sophia's right breast, making her breath hitch. She smirked. "Didn't think you could get any bigger, Soph. Guess I was wrong." She was impatient- she always had been- as she all but ripped Sophia's t-shirt off, leaving her light blue bra exposed.

Sophia flushed red, the cool air hitting her exposed stomach. "Danica, st-" She was cut off by another kiss.

"Shh," muttered Danica against her lips. "Don't talk. Just let me take care of you like I used to. Remember that? Remember how good it felt?"

Sophia did remember. She remembered how she used to practically throw herself at Danica and vice versa. She remembered the two of them taking full advantage of their parents being away on a mission. She remembered the long, passionate nights they used to share. She remembered how safe and warm and loved she had felt in the woman's arms. It had been the two of them against the world.

But things were different now. There were seven years between them, a part of her life that Danica knew nothing about. Not to mention the fact that they had ended on bad terms. This wasn't loving, tender sex. No, this was Danica desperately clinging to their past relationship.

The worst part? Danica knew that. She wasn't an idiot, never had been. She knew this wasn't healthy.

A moan suddenly escaped Sophia's covered mouth when she felt Danica rub her through her leggings. This snapped her back to reality as she pushed Danica off of her, more forcefully this time. "Danica, stop," she commanded sternly as she stood up. She was panting and her face felt like it was on fire, but she narrowed her eyes anyway. "We can't do this."

Her crotch was throbbing in protest, but she made sure to keep her resolve.

But Danica was quick to pin her against the wall. "I love you," she said adamantly. Sophia gasped, her eyes going wide. There had been hours upon hours of sweet words whispered between them in the past, but she had never been told those words. "And I fucking wish I had told you sooner instead of the farthest thing from the truth. Maybe I could have convinced you to stay."

Sophia blinked, trying to keep her tears at bay. "Danica..." she whispered, suddenly feeling bad. She loved her friend, she just wasn't in love with her.

Danica kissed her again, but this time it was soft and fleeting. "I won't touch you anymore if you don't want me to," she promised. "But if you let me, then this can be the last time. Let me see if you feel the same way."

Well, Danica had already turned her on, so was there any harm in letting her finish the job? Of course there was, but those thoughts left her as Danica began to kiss her again. Her hands traveled all over her body, eliciting loud and throaty moans from her.

Sophia knew she should have said no. But in the end, that didn't matter as she surrendered her body to Danica for the night.

OoOoOo

Rex had just stepped through the door to his apartment when his phone rang. Glancing at the caller ID, he groaned when he saw his mother's picture. "The princess has been delivered back to her castle," he grumbled, still annoyed with the ordeal as a whole. "Are you happy now?"

"Watch your tone," his mother snapped back. "And thank you. Diana and I are on our way back to Earth. She'll be happy to see her daughter."

"Thank you, Reginald," came Aunt Diana's kind voice.

Rex flushed with embarrassment. "Mom, do you have me on speaker?" he demanded. Of course she did.

"My phone's hooked up to the Javelin," his mother defended. "It's not like I have a choice while I'm driving. Anyway, how was it? You didn't give her a hard time, did you?"

"Why does everyone always assume that I did something?" muttered Rex as he closed his door. He flopped onto his couch and put his phone on the coffee table. "And no, we actually had a handful of lovely conversations. I even stayed for dinner."

"Good, because only an idiot would deny Alfred's cooking."

Rex rolled his eyes. "Thanks, Mom," he murmured sarcastically.

"Well, I'm glad that Sophia was nice to you," Aunt Diana chimed in. "I know the two of you never got along, but I hope that you can put all of that behind you."

'I wouldn't mind being behind Sophia's-' Rex stopped that train of thought before it could continue. Why was he being such a fucking pervert? He was disgusted with himself, but at the same time, he couldn't deny that Sophia was hot. Impossibly so, in fact. He winced as the brief thought of what she and Danica were probably doing right now flashed through his head. 'Stupid, lucky Danica...'

It was here that Rex realized he had been quiet for too long. "Yeah, we're cool," he replied. "I think." They had seemed alright, but he didn't know if things would always be like that. He guessed that he would have to wait and see.

"We'll be home in about twelve hours give or take," his mother informed him.

"See you then, Mom," he responded. He fiddled with the watch resting on his left wrist and checked the time: 8:30. That meant that they'd be flying in tomorrow morning.

"Bye, honey."

His mother hung up and Rex let out a heavy sigh. He loved his mother, but she could be too intense sometimes. Perhaps that was where he got it from. He stood up from his couch and went to get a can of soda from the fridge.

Although, with how this day had gone, he had a feeling that he would need something stronger.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you liked it and please review!


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please enjoy!

Sophia trembled as she came down from her high, Danica's hands placed firmly on her thighs. She opened one of her eyes to see a head of curls in between her legs and flushed; there was something about the way Danica worked that drove her crazy. Her fingers uncurled, loosening her grip on the pillows. Her back eventually settled down from its arched shape as she relaxed her body onto the mattress.

Danica's eyes met hers, the dark pools extremely pleased by her current state. "I've always loved seeing you all flustered like that," she said appraisingly. She leaned up and pressed a kiss to her quivering lips. "Wasn't I right? Didn't it feel good?"

Sophia couldn't even form coherent words, her crotch burning with pleasure and her breasts buzzing from arousal. "Putain d'enfer, Danica," she hissed in French. She took a moment to gather her thoughts, her chest heaving at the heavy gasps she took.

Her senses came back to her all at once and she shoved Danica off of her, bringing her sheet up to cover her bare body. "Fuck," she swore. "Fuck, fuck, fuck." She felt regretful and humiliated and angry all at once as she stalked away from the other woman. Sophia scanned the floor for her clothes, her cheeks burning with shame.

But Danica- ever the fast one- quickly grabbed her by her wrist. "Hey, what's your problem?" she snapped. Her voice was angry with a hint of hurt.

Sophia pulled away and had to fight the instinct to put the woman in a chokehold. "My problem is that we shouldn't have done this!" she snapped. 'And I shouldn't have allowed this to happen.' She had allowed herself to be weak, giving in to her lustful desires. Well, that couldn't happen again. That was what had gotten her in trouble last time.

"You liked it," Danica insisted. "I could tell. So what's the problem?"

"Of course I liked it!" Sophia shot back. "It's sex, Danica, everyone likes sex! But-!" She took a deep breath to calm herself down, willing herself not to lose her temper. "Danica, we can't go on like this."

"Like what?" Danica bit out.

"Clinging to a relationship that ended seven years ago," she clarified. "You say you love me, but I don't think that's true. I think I'm familiar to you; I'm easy and safe."

"I've been in other relationships, Sophia."

Sophia raised an eyebrow. "And how did they turn out?" If they were anything like her past relationships, she could make an educated guess.

Danica opened her mouth to retort but quickly closed it.

Sophia sighed, massaging her temples. "Danica, you're wonderful," she admitted, taking the girl's face in her hands. "And I do love you. But you have to understand, I'm not in love with you anymore."

"But I'm in love with you!" Danica looked like she was on the verge of tears.

Sophia felt bad, but she knew her friend had to hear this. "No, you're not," she replied softly. "Danica, you're my best friend, don't ever doubt that. But we can't be together like this anymore. We're bad for each other like this."

Danica sniffed. "I know," she confessed. "I'm sorry."

Sophia kissed her on the cheek. "Don't be," she assured her. Even though they were both stark naked, that didn't stop her from hugging the other woman. "I missed you."

Danica buried her face in her neck. "I missed you too." They held each other for a while, both of their minds on this new relationship forming between them; it was different and new but they would figure it out (somehow).

OoOoOo

Sophia didn't see her parents until the next morning.

Of course, by that time, Danica was long gone (they weren't amateurs). Sophia- her eyes still heavy with sleep and her body aching with expired pleasure- rolled out of bed. Luckily, she had chosen to wear her winter pajamas; not only did they protect her from the cold, but they would hide Danica's little 'love marks.'

A plus, her fluffy bunny slippers also defended her feet from the cold, wooden floor.

When she entered the dining room, Sophia saw her parents talking quietly to one another. However, her mother's eyes lit up when they caught her own as she promptly shoved her father out of the way. "To koritsáki mou!" she nearly shouted, tackling her in a hug.

If they hadn't been Amazons, Sophia was sure they would have toppled to the ground. "Mom!" she exclaimed, struggling to support them both. Despite this, she smiled shyly. "Hi..."

Diana pulled away from the hug and cupped her cheeks, scanning her face. "Oh, my sweet girl," she softly cooed. "I am overjoyed to have you back in my arms. I'll never let anyone hurt you." She pulled Sophia back to her, the girl's face nuzzled in the crook of her neck.

Sophia had never felt safer. "I love you, Mom," she murmured.

"I love you too, baby. I always will."

Her mother finally released her but held onto her hand as she led her to her father. Sophia gave him a weak smile. "Hi, Daddy," she greeted. This was it, the hard part about coming home. Her mother, she knew, would love her unconditionally no matter what. Her father, however, was stern and held little sympathy (though, Jason had told her that she didn't know the half of it).

Much to her delight, he offered her a warm smile. "Hi, honey," he responded. That was all it took for her to leap at him, tackling him with a hug. His arms enveloped her, surrounding her with his warmth.

Sophia looked up to him with sad eyes. "I messed up, Daddy," she confessed. She hated disappointing her father; it always made her stomach churn and her heart palpitate.

Bruce kissed the top of her head. "Ran into trouble, didn't you, honey?" he soothed her. She nodded and he held her for a moment as if she were merely a baby. "Don't worry, we'll take care of it."

And she believed him because her father would never lie to her.

OoOoOo

It was a week after he dropped Sophia off that Rex got the invitation in the mail.

Something to know about the Wayne family was that they were extravagant. Now, he had never figured out if it was to dissuade the world from discovering their secret or if they naturally had a flair for the dramatics, but he knew this would be a big event. After all, they were celebrating the return of their precious daughter; this party was bound to be spectacular.

Rex was almost surprised that he had received an invitation; there was no doubt that the high-ends in Gotham would occupy the space. Then again, he was sure that the other founders and their kids would be there. Perhaps even some other League members would make an appearance. He just hoped that he wouldn't have to face her.

No, he wasn't talking about Sophia or Danica. The woman he dreaded to face was worse because she was absolutely the sweetest person on Earth. And he absolutely didn't fucking deserve her. It had all happened two years ago and he still felt like a dick. Would this feeling ever go away?

"Mareena, I can't do this anymore."

The woman across from him flinched, her cerulean eyes wide with shock and confusion and hurt. "W-What?" she stuttered out. She moved closer to him, only for him to back away. "Rex, what are you talking about? You can't do what anymore?"

Rex cleared his throat, the awkwardness of the situation painfully clear. "I can't be with you anymore," he clarified. God, this was cliche. He averted his eyes, unable to look Mareena in hers. He felt shame creep up the back of his neck, almost burning his skin. "I'm sorry, but it's just not working out."

"B-But things were fine!" insisted Mareena. Tears welled in her eyes, threatening to fall. "We were fine yesterday! What changed?"

That was the hard part. "I don't know," he admitted. This was the truth, Rex honestly didn't know what had caused his sudden change of heart. He had been feeling like this all day and he didn't know why. All Rex knew was that he couldn't be with Mareena anymore, it didn't feel right. "I'm sorry."

Mareena was definitely about to cry, but she swallowed it down. "...Alright," she accepted. "Thank you for telling me, but I think you should go."

Rex didn't say anything but nodded his agreement as he retreated from her apartment. He never looked back.

Mareena was Aquaman's daughter and had rarely left Atlantis when they were children. As she had reached adulthood with the rest of them, she had gotten her own apartment on the 'surface world,' as she called it. They had gotten to talking and, well, one thing had led to another. Rex cringed whenever he thought about it; they had been together for literally two years and he had ended it all. To this day, he still didn't know what had possessed him to break it off.

It wasn't as if they had been having problems. In fact, they had begun to use the 'L-word' a month prior. Rex still felt as though he had forsaken all of that for a gut feeling. Had he been afraid of how serious they were getting? That was possible. He was sure that he had never felt that way about anyone else.

Against his will, he found himself comparing both her and Sophia in his head. Mareena's hair was light and straight while Sophia's was dark and wavy. Mareena's curves were soft, modest whereas Sophia's were abundant, obvious. Mareena was funny where Sophia was witty. Mareena was beautiful and Sophia was-

Rex stopped his train of thought right there. Shame burned his cheeks; it wasn't right to compare the two if them in his head. He felt fucked up, especially considering one was his ex and the other had hated his guts up until a week ago.

He sighed and looked on his phone. Sure enough, there was a text from his mother: 'You're going.' He rolled his eyes; what if he'd had work? Of course, he didn't, but she didn't know that. He replied with a confirmation and set his phone down on the coffee table.

It looked like he would need to buy a tux for Saturday. Dammit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Someone brought this up last chapter and I feel that I have to explain my reasoning. Yes, Danica did more-or-less attempt to coerce Sophia into sex, but Sophia isn't physically weaker than Danica nor is she someone who does what others tell her. If she hadn't wanted to sleep with Danica, she wouldn't have. I'm actually glad someone brought this up because I was hesitant about posting that little scene.
> 
> That scene was more about Sophia giving into her lust and desire than Danica trying to force her into it. Don't misunderstand, what Danica did wasn't right, but rest assured it will be addressed in a later chapter.
> 
> Anyway, I hope you liked the chapter and please review!


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please enjoy!

Sophia grimaced as she looked at herself in the mirror. "Mom, is this really necessary?" she questioned. She glanced down at her slightly exposed cleavage and- for the first time in a while- felt a bit self-conscious. Gotham had become an unfamiliar territory, especially around the socialites. "I'm pretty sure that ninety-five percent of the people attending don't even know my name."

"You'll be fine," Diana assured her as she braided the front of her hair. "Besides, you know we don't want there to be any suspicion around your return."

She flushed slightly, recalling exactly what had landed her in this position in the first place. "I guess," she mumbled.

Her mother's fingers hesitated atop her head before a soft kiss was placed against her scalp. "Your father and I will be with you the whole time," she promised. Her voice held a certain tenderness to it that only Diana Prince-Wayne could provide. "No one will find out, I swear it."

Sophia wished she could believe her.

OoOoOo

The suit was itchy, the tie was tight, and the shoes squeaked when he walked. Why had he agreed to this again?

The various socialites around him turned up their noses when they saw Rex and he had been tempted to flip them off. Of course, he couldn't, but that didn't stop him from thinking about it. He ignored them and continued his trek into the hall that the Wayne's had rented out. Unsurprisingly, they picked one of the most expensive venues in Gotham.

Once he was inside, Rex glanced around the lavishly decorated hall. Immediately, he found his parents standing near Sophia's, the other founders not too far away. A few feet off, Jon was chatting idly with Danica. It was actually odd, considering that Jon had never been a fan of Danica, but he shrugged it off as his friend being polite.

Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted Sophia's brothers lurking around. Dick, the oldest and probably the friendliest, was by the food table nibbling on one of the cupcakes. Tim, the one closest to Sophia's age, had his eyes on the guests as if one of them could pull out a gun at any moment. Of course, this was Gotham so he probably wasn't too far off.

Jason, the second oldest, was helping himself to a plate of hors d'oeuvre that he was probably supposed to be passing out. Their eyes met for a moment and Jason's sea-green ones narrowed slightly. Rex knew that look; it was a warning. He had been on the receiving end of those by the Bat-Brothers for as long as he could remember.

Rex decided to glare right back; he was a grown-ass man now and he wasn't going to back down anymore.

"Excuse me, everyone."

Standing atop the stage was Aunt Diana, Uncle Bruce standing nearby. She hadn't raised her voice, a woman like her never needed to. She commanded the presence of every room she was in. There was a brilliant smile on her face, though it didn't quite meet her eyes. "Bruce and I want to thank you all for joining us tonight!" she announced. "We're here tonight to celebrate the return of our darling daughter, Sophia!"

Polite applause sounded through the room.

Rex wanted to scowl at how fake the people here were. He knew that most of these socialites didn't give a damn about Sophia coming back. But God forbid that they turn down Bruce Wayne and Diana Prince-Wayne.

Perhaps that was the real reason why Sophia left the States. Maybe she despised these people as much as he did. The girl was a lot of things, but fake wasn't one of them.

It was then that Sophia made her entrance and goddamn was she gorgeous.

She wore a dazzling silver dress that reached just under her knees, emphasizing her shapely and slender legs. It hugged her upper body, but flared out at the waist, still highlighting her curves. Her long, dark hair was braided in the front and tied up in a bun which brought out her beautiful blue eyes. She somehow looked innocent in the dress, her eyes wide and her lips pink.

At that moment, he knew why she had been dubbed Gotham's Princess as a little girl.

Rex swallowed thickly, tearing his eyes away from her. He couldn't let his attraction to her show, not in front of her entire goddamn family. Not to mention that Danica would have more reason to hate him.

He'd just have to avoid her. It should be easy since he was far from her favorite person.

OoOoOo

Sophia was going to throw someone through the window.

You'd think she was kidding, but her hand twitched alarmingly every time a socialite stopped her to talk. Her cheeks hurt from smiling so much and she'd forgotten just how much heels pinched. She'd never worn them in France- usually boots or flats or sandals or even sneakers- and she was regretting it now. Though, at least she could use the heels on her feet to kick the next snobby lady or lecherous man in the eye.

As promised, her parents were never far away. She could almost always see one of them out of the corner of her eye and that made her feel a bit better.

Right now, her jaw was clenched as she stared up at Mrs. Emerson, an older woman who was one of Gotham's snobbiest. She came from old money, like the Wayne's, but saw them as 'too weak' because they had always been charitable.

Though, everyone knew it was really because her father and late grandfather- RIP, Grandpa Tom, she thought to herself- almost always stayed at the top chain.

"You spent an awful lot of time in France, dear," observed Mrs. Emerson, looking her over. She could see why the woman as bitter; she'd been through three divorces and all her children had moved to different parts of the world. Her face was pinched and her eyes were squinty; she probably resented her mother's beauty. "Any particular reason why?"

Sophia fought not to allow her smile to falter as she imagined wrapping her hands around the woman's neck. "I was studying abroad, Mrs. Emerson," she relayed to the woman. "I've gotten my masters in American law there and I'm going to take over the Wayne Enterprise law department soon."

Emerson raised an eyebrow. "Studying American law in France?" she repeated and Sophia dug her nails into the palms of her hands. "Doesn't that seem a bit unnecessary?"

'Lady, you don't know the meaning of necessary,' thought Sophia pettily. She inhaled deeply through her nostrils as she attempted to maintain her composure. "Oh, I like to think of it as an experience, ma'am," she answered cheerily. "I'm so grateful that I could have the opportunity to get my education in another country."

The old woman turned up her nose and was about to comment when Sophia felt a tug at her arm. "Hey, sis," Jason intervened unapologetically. "Di says that she needs your help with getting more cupcakes. Darling Dickhead at them all."

Sophia nearly sighed in relief. "Pardon me, Mrs. Emerson," she said quickly before following her older brother. "Thanks for the save, Jay. How do you always manage to come at the right time?"

Jason winked at her. "What did I tell you when you were a pipsqueak?" he reminded her. "Your favorite brother's always got your back."

She giggled. "Don't I know it." It had been Jason, after all, who had convinced her parents to allow her to go to France. For some reason- Sophia still didn't know why- her mother valued his opinion sometimes even over Dick's. "Did Dickie really eat all the cupcakes?"

"What, you think I made that shit up?"

OoOoOo

Rex was doing what he did best and separated himself from other people.

He didn't do large crowds and he didn't feel like putting on a facade. His eyes did, however, follow Sophia's figure most of the night, much to his dismay. He just couldn't help it. She easily captured the attention of the room, just like her mother. It must have something to do with the commanding and entrancing essence of an Amazon.

"Would you knock it off, already?"

Rex stopped and counted to five before turning around. "Are we really starting this again, Danica?" he drawled. He wasn't going to lose his temper here, not in front of all these socialites or his aunt and uncles. "Are you going to make a fool of yourself like last time?"

Danica smirked at him, her red lips curling mischievously. If he hadn't despised her, Rex would have said she looked almost as beautiful as Sophia in her deep red dress. "Gorgeous, isn't she?"

His eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Who?"

She rolled her eyes. "Soph, obviously." Her carefully constructed facade flickered for a moment before it was up again. "I'm just shocked that it took your lame ass twenty-three years to see it."

Rex crossed his arms over his chest. "Is there a point to this conversation?" he snapped, more than ready to just walk away. He didn't want to be that asshole who caused a scene at Sophia's party.

Danica held her hands up in defense. "Easy, tiger," she mocked. "I'm not gonna clock you again. I just want you to know this: there's nothing that feels better or stings worse than loving Sophia Wayne."

"Hey," a voice interrupted softly. Standing before them was Sophia herself, her expression friendly but her eyes slightly hard. She glanced at Danica before looking back at him. "What are you guys talking about?"

OoOoOo

Sophia knew that leaving Danica and Rex together wasn't a good idea.

So, once she had seen them, she had dashed their way. Her aching feet protested, but she ignored it as she hurried over to them. "Hey," she interrupted once she was there. She gave Danica a warning look- what, was she trying to pick a fight?- before looking at Rex who she hoped wasn't feeding into it. "What are you guys talking about?"

Danica gave her one of her famous bullshit grins. "Oh. just you, silly!" she replied, overly cheery. "You look stunning in that dress, Soph!" She sent a raised eyebrow Rex's way. "Don't you think, Rex?"

So, that was the game Danica was playing. Well, she'd just have to play along.

Rex looked uncomfortable with the question, but he didn't back down. "Oh, yeah," he agreed without hesitation. He met her eyes when he spoke to her. "You do look really nice, Sophia."

Sophia smiled in response, but couldn't help but flush slightly at the words. "Thank you," she replied. "You do too." And he did, Rex cleaned up really nice. The suit fit him well, though she could tell it was bothering him.

She didn't blame him, these heels were killing her.

"Well, I'm gonna go grab some air," she announced suddenly. Now that she had diffused the situation, she felt that things could calm down. "Do either one of you want to join me? I know it can get stuffy in here."

Danica waved a hand at her. "Pass," she decided. "I'm gonna go fight your brother for the next batch of cupcakes." She hurried off to where Dick was standing at the table.

Sophia chuckled at her antics before turning to Rex. "And you?"

Rex glanced away from her before giving her a stiff nod. "Sure, I guess." She smiled at him before leading him outside. She was excited to maybe become friends with the man. If she did, she would finally lay the rest of her childhood to rest.

Maybe that was what they both needed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sophia and Rex are trying! Can we give them that? Anyway, I hope you liked it and please review!


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know, I know, it's been a while. Just had to figure out how to tackle this chapter. Anyway, please enjoy!

Why had he agreed to this?

Rex furiously bit down on his lip as he watched Sophia out of the corner of his eye. The woman idly looked out toward the night sky, champagne glass in her hand. He was starting to think that she wasn't really drinking it. Every few minutes, she would twirl the glass around for a couple of seconds before her tongue would dart out to skim across the rim.

It was irritatingly pointless and unbearably sexy.

'This is Sophia Wayne,' he had to constantly remind himself. Though, a small voice- the voice that usually got him in trouble- would often respond, 'So what?' He clenched his jaw as he forced himself to avert his gaze.

Instead, he focused on Gotham City across the water. From afar, the city actually looked decent. But as someone who used to spend a lot of time there, he knew better. Gotham was home to some of the filthiest scum to ever walk the Earth; villains, criminals, and everything in between. He could see why the woman next to him had gotten out so quickly.

"Would you believe me if I said I missed it?"

Her voice brought him out of his thoughts as he glanced over to meet her eyes. "Missed what?" he inquired.

Sophia gave him a small, tired smile and she suddenly looked much older than twenty-one. "Gotham," she clarified. She looked back toward the city. "I know it's an awful, dirty city, with a crime rate that's borderline embarrassing but-" She took a deep breath. "It's where I grew up. It's where my family is. I missed it."

Well, Rex could never see the appeal, but he supposed it was different for her. "Makes sense," he responded. He couldn't help but add, "But if you missed it so much, why'd you leave in the first place?" His curiosity had been piqued since the moment Danica had brought it up five years ago. Why had Sophia left?

Sophia looked at him as if she couldn't process what he had just asked. For a moment, he thought she was going to snap at him and was about to apologize, but he never got that chance. "Have you ever felt like you'd never be as good as your parents?" she asked instead. Her voice was quiet, almost tentative and he had the feeling that she had never told anyone this.

Rex pondered her question. "I mean, kind of," he admitted. They were Justice League founders, how could he not? He glanced into the hall and noticed that the socialites had all left. How long had they been out here? "But it's not like they're perfect. My mom is an outcast from her home world and my dad got kicked out of the Green Lantern Corps. Seeing their mistakes makes me feel better about my own. Still, I guess their legacy is a big one."

She hummed quietly, slipping out of her heels. "I guess it just got hard, you know?" she continued. "My mother is an Amazon Princess and, despite being exiled, is still one of the most beloved heroes in the world. My father is the goddamned Batman and has done more for Gotham in and out of suit than I'll ever know." Her frustration seemed to rise. "It didn't matter how perfect I was because-!"

Sophia seemed to remember who she was talking to because she abruptly stopped herself. She sighed and that tired look returned to her eyes. "Sorry, I don't know why I'm telling you this."

Rex shrugged in a way that he hoped was understanding. "I asked," he reminded her. In a way, he could see her point. Her parents were two-thirds of the Trinity for Christ's sake and it wasn't as if Bruce Wayne and Diana Prince-Wayne weren't a big deal out of costume. He could see why she would feel like she was under a lot of pressure.

"It's okay to feel that way, you know," he assured her. "You don't have to feel embarrassed or anything, anyone would need a break every once and a while." Seeing that her frown was unchanging, he attempted, "Of course, seven years is a pretty long time. Are you sure that you didn't cross the Atlantic to get away from me?"

It worked. Sophia chortled a bit and lightly shoved his arm. "Not everything's about you, you jerk," she jested, her eyes glinting with that Sophia Wayne mischief he remembered so well.

For some reason, her smile made the corners of his mouth twitch. "I beg to differ, Princess," he retorted. She laughed again and his ears tingled at the sound. Her laugh wasn't delicate like her mother's or deep like her father's (yes, he had heard Bruce Wayne laugh); it was throaty and she snorted slightly at the end and Jesus it was so cute.

'Be a little more creepy,' thought Rex sarcastically. 'I'm sure every guy is attracted to a girl's laugh.'

Sophia peered into the hall to see that only the founders and family were left. "I think it's safe to head inside," she observed. "The snobs are- finally- gone."

Rex gestured her forward. "After you, Princess," he teased. She stuck her tongue out at him before striding inside, heels in hand. He tried not to glance at her- very nice- butt ('tried' being the keyword).

OoOoOo

She had never told anyone that before.

It had hit Sophia as soon as the two had separated. No one, not even Danica or even her parents, knew the real reason for her departure to France. Why had she told Rex Stewart of all people? She couldn't put her finger on it, but there was something about Rex that made her comfortable. He was a good listener, she would give him that.

"Well, you lasted an hour. That's more than I thought you would."

Sophia rolled her eyes at her sarcastic older brother. "Timmy, I'm surprised you're not hiding a flask of coffee in your jacket," she shot back, a grin on her face. She and Tim had a special kind of relationship where their jokes were as flat as Alfred's pancakes and sarcasm was their preferred tone of voice.

Tim smirked at her. "Al's got me on coffee probation," he told her. He leaned against the wall. "So, what were you and Stewart talking about?"

She was caught off by the question and swallowed thickly. "Just... things," she replied tentatively. She hated when Tim asked her questions; she felt like she was being interrogated. "You know, random things."

"I see..." replied Tim. "Strange how the two of you are so close of all a sudden."

Sophia rolled her eyes again. "We aren't 'close,' Timothy," she insisted. "Reginald and I have agreed to try to get along not that we're adults."

Not it was his turn to roll his eyes. "Yes, and I'm sure it had nothing to do with the fact that he has looked at your butt at least three times," he drawled.

Perhaps she hadn't been imagining Rex's ogling on the balcony. Nevertheless, Sophia shrugged. "It's a free country, he can look all he wants," she accepted. She smirked and winked. "Hera knows I do. He has a pretty nice butt himself." Nice muscle too. She wondered how much he could bench press.

Tim made a face. "You're a little pervert, you know that?"

She shrugged again. "I don't deny it," she replied. "Why do you think Danica and I had all those sleepovers? And not to mention you missed the last seven years of my life." That body count was higher than she'd like to admit.

He lightly shoved her. "Keep talking and I'm gonna tell Dick."

Sophia smirked. "He'd probably high-five me," she pointed out. She may have been young compared to her brothers, but she still knew some of the things Dick used to get up to. Though, she may have gotten a bit carried away a few times. Enough times that her mother would probably curse her out in Greek if she ever knew.

Then again, her sex life wasn't the thing she was trying to get away from in France.

OoOoOo

Despite her agreement with Sophia, Danica couldn't help the jealousy that burned in her heart. The truth was, there was a time when Sophia had been all she had.

When Wally had first fostered her when she was twelve, she hadn't liked him. She had thought that he was just like all her other foster fathers; drunk, dirty, and lecherous. She had lashed out at him, cursed at him, and shouted at him. It had gotten worse once she'd found out that he knew she was a speedster. She had thought that was the only reason he wanted to foster her. Nothing had been able to placate her temper tantrums.

Nothing except Sophia.

~OoOoOo~

Danica scowled as she stood next to the redheaded man in the strange place he had taken her to. She didn't trust him, no matter how many times he had assured her that he wasn't going to hurt her. They all said that and they were all liars. Even the ones that had never actually hurt her had all been after her for the check she came with.

And so what if Wally was a speedster like her? That was the only reason he had been interested in her. Well, she didn't need him. She would be just fine on her own. She had accepted that she would never find a family a long time ago.

"Why are we here?" snapped Danica, looking around. She knew Wally was The Flash, so she figured she must be on the Watchtower. What, was he going to show her off to all his hero friends?

Wally gave her a kind smile. She'd give him this; he was good at keeping up the nice guy act. "I just have some business to take care of," he explained. "I didn't want to leave you home alone. Will you be alright here while I go take care of something?"

She rolled her eyes; what was she, five? But she shrugged nonetheless. "Whatever," she replied curtly. He gave her another smile before zipping off, probably to go on some mission or something.

"I like your hair."

Danica started, spinning around to see a girl around her age standing there. She had big blue eyes, long dark hair tied up in two pigtails, and large, thick glasses. She smiled at her and she found it was the most innocent smile she had ever seen. She touched her curly chestnut hair subconsciously. "T-Thanks, I guess." No one liked her hair. The kids in her foster homes pulled at her curls and her foster mothers often grew frustrated with dealing with it.

The girl stuck out her hand. "I'm Sophia Martha Wayne," she announced as if her name was a name to remember.

She looked at the hand for a long while, but the girl never wavered. "Danica Williams," she replied, tentatively taking the offered hair.

Sophia beamed at her cooperation. "Are you Uncle Wally's new daughter?" she asked.

That brought the scowl back to Danica's face as she crossed her arms and pouted. "I'm not his daughter," she insisted. She had been someone's daughter and they were gone and no one could take their place.

The girl pursed her lips. "That's too bad," she replied. "cause Uncle Wally's the best."

This peaked Danica's interest. "He is?" she questioned.

Sophia nodded, her smile growing bigger. "Uh-huh!" she answered. "He always gives the best presents for Christmas and one time I fell and he gave me a band-aid and bought me a lollipop and when he watches me he lets me have ice-cream super late and-"

"I think I get it," Danica interrupted. Maybe Wally wasn't that bad if this girl liked him so much. Maybe she could give him a chance.

"Do you wanna meet my friends?" asked Sophia.

"Um... I guess?"

"Great!"  
~OoOoOo~

And the rest was history.

It was because of Sophia that she had given Wally a chance. It was because of Sophia that she had the life she was living. Was it really that surprising that she had fallen in love with her? Did it really seem shocking that she had fallen for sweet, caring, and smart Sophia Wayne? Their teenage years had been full of so much love and bliss that they almost seemed like a dream now.

It wasn't fair. Why did Stewart get to have her now?

Alright, so they were only just starting to be friends, but she knew Sophia. She knew when someone caught her interest. She'd bet her convertible that the two of them would at least be banging within a month give or take.

It was so frustrating that she had spent so much time defending her from Stewart and now they were acting like best friends. Had Sophia forgotten just what he'd put her through.

"You have to let it go."

Danica clenched her jaw. She didn't even have to turn around to know who it was. "I don't know what you're talking about, Dad." Even though she'd been saying it for a few years now, the word was still weird to her.

Wally put a hand on her shoulder. "I know you care for her, but a lot's changed since you two were together," he continued. "She's different and you're different and you need to accept it."

She gently removed his hand. "Dad, I love her," she confessed. She probably looked so pathetic, looking at her flats as if she were a child. "It's not fair. He was such a jerk to her."

He brought her in for a hug. "I know, sweetheart. I know."

At least she knew that Wally would be there for her. If no one else, she'd always have her dad.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this chapter was longer than I thought it was going to be. Anyway, I hope you liked it and please review!


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please enjoy!

Being the head lawyer of her Wayne Enterprise's law firm was anything but fun.

Sophia grimaced as she looked over a case that had just been brought to her. An elementary school teacher had reported that a little girl was being abused by her mother. Cases as these always made her think of what Danica had endured as a child. She felt as though it was her obligation to do what she could to help. She would feel like that anyway, but it pained her to think about the pain and abandonment that burned in Danica's heart.

If she could prevent another child's innocence from being taken, she would.

However, there was only one lawyer who specialized in cases like these. This lawyer, in particular, was far from her biggest fan, but it wasn't like she had much choice.

With a sigh, Sophia pressed down on the intercom installed in her desk. "Bethany, could you send in Mr. Holland?" she asked her secretary.

"I'll send him right away, ma'am," came Bethany's reply and Sophia winced; Bethany was three years older than her. It felt strange to be designated as 'ma'am' either way, but older adults calling her that was even weirder.

A few moments later, there was a knock at her door. "Come in," she called.

Scott Holland entered soon after. He was older than her by about five years with neat brown hair and dull, pickle green eyes. Rex's were much nicer, she noted a bit spitefully. "You wanted to see me, Miss Wayne?" he questioned.

Sophia forced a smile on her face. "I have a case for you," she announced, handing him the file. "An abuse case; those are your specialty I hear. The details are all there and the teacher will be there to meet with you tomorrow afternoon."

A dark glint passed through his eyes. "And I suppose that you dealt like cases like these a lot in France?" And there it was.

She clenched her jaw, trying to keep her temper under control. "Not in the case of child abuse, no," she responded, her voice hard. She knew it had been a slight, just an underhanded one.

The truth was, her career had only just kicked off before the... 'incident' in France. Everyone knew that she had only handled a few cases before she had been dragged back to Gotham. To the lawyer who had been working here for years, she was inexperienced. To them, she had just been given this position.

And alright, that was more or less true. However, her success rate in France was one hundred percent. Was it too much to ask for at least a little respect?

Sophia gave Holland a tight smile. "Well, you'd better get started," she suggested. Really, it was her way of politely kicking him out of her office.

Holland looked up and down her figure before giving her a creepy grin. "Of course, Miss Wayne," he agreed simply. He turned and left her office and she couldn't help but shiver.

He was such a creep. She knew what she'd said to Tim, but there was a big difference in his gaze and in Rex's. She liked when Rex looked at her because his looks were quick and appreciative, Holland's were leering and lecherous. Besides, she couldn't help but feel like there was something... off about Holland. She couldn't quite place it, but there was something telling her that he was more than just your regular office asshole.

Once she was sure he was gone, Sophia sank into her chair. She knew that she'd have to keep an eye on Holland; there was something about him that set the warning bells in her head off.

Bethany's voice suddenly crackled over the intercom. "Miss Wayne?"

Sophia tilted her head in slight confusion; Bethany rarely contacted her first. "Yes, Bethany?" she replied, an eyebrow raised. A quick glance at the clock told her that it was actually time for her lunch break.

"There's a man here for you," Bethany informed her. "Says he wants to take you out for lunch."

Much to her chagrin, Sophia couldn't help the quirk of her lips as she realized who was there. "You can send him in, Beth," she allowed. She attempted to school her features so that he wouldn't know that she was glad to see him.

Rex entered her office, dressed in jeans, a T-shirt, and a leather jacket. "Hey, Princess," he greeted, a smirk on his lips as he shut the door behind him. "How's work so far?

She huffed. "Tedious," she answered. "But I can't complain." She took in his tousled hair and decided that he looked rather handsome with it. "So, is there a reason that you're here? How did you even know when my break was?"

"Well, I was on the phone with my mom and mentioned that I was going to pick up something to eat," explained Rex. "Your mom was with her and mentioned that today was the end of your first week. So, I thought I'd take you out to celebrate."

Sophia couldn't hold back her smile this time. "Wow, Reginald, I never knew you were such a gentleman," she teased. Where was that annoying little kid who put a frog down her dress when she was eight? She found that she liked adult Rex. She stood up from her desk and made her way toward him. "I think I'll take you up on that offer."

He grinned at her and offered his arm. "Shall we, Princess?" he asked, playfully winking at her.

She chortled and took it. "Why of course, good sir." His offer to take her out had put her in a good mood. So much so, that she stopped by Bethany's desk on their way out. "You can take the rest of the day off, Bethany."

When they exited the building, Sophia's jaw almost dropped. "No way..." In front of them was a dark red motorcycle and she could have fallen in love right then and there. "I didn't know you had a motorcycle!" He certainly hadn't picked her up from the airport with it.

Rex chuckled at her, mounting the front of the bike. "Hop on, Princess." She did so, almost immediately wrapping her arms around him. She felt him tense and couldn't help the smug grin that adorned her mouth as she buried her face into his back.

OoOoOo

"So Rex, so you have an- ahem- alias?"

He had taken her to a little local place called Harold's Diner. It was a small place, run by a lovely couple. She'd never been, but she'd heard nothing but good things about the place. Apparently, they were famous for their lasagna which she intended on trying.

In France, Sophia had taken up her own vigilante mantel.

She had been known as La Libératrice or The Liberator. Her suit consisted of elements from both her parents; it was black and sleek like her father's, but she wore a crown-like headpiece and wrist guards like her mother. She also carried a sword and lasso (unlike her mother's, hers only inflicted mild pain) and wore a utility belt filled with gadgets.

She hadn't really had villains in France. Just the occasional bank robber or purse-snatcher really. Though she'd had a dangerous few run-ins with a couple of meta villains, none of them had become her enemy.

Sophia had been thinking of taking up her mantel again, but she couldn't help but feel as if she didn't deserve to. Not after what had landed her ass back home in the first place...

She shook her head to focus on the man in front of her.

Rex took a sip of his soda before meeting her eyes. "Of course," he answered. "Started when I turned nineteen." He took a napkin from the dispenser and a pen from his pocket before scribbling something down. He looked around before passing it to her face down.

Sophia gave him a blank look. "Dude, you could've just whispered it," she deadpanned. Honestly, there was no one there. Despite this, she glanced down at the napkin; it read, Warhawk. She hummed in thought. "Straight to the point, fitting." She gave him a small smile. "I like it."

He shrugged. "It works," he commented. "What about you?"

"La Libératrice," she answered quietly. She'd never told anyone about her alias, but she had a feeling her parents knew. The rest of the League might have known as well, but no one had said anything to her thus far. "The Liberator."

Rex's eyebrows went up at that. "Sound serious," he remarked with just a tad of sarcasm.

This time, it was Sophia who shrugged. "I was only seventeen," she reminded him. "I was trying to be dramatic." She had actually been trying to mimic her father's name, a name that struck fear into the hearts of criminals. Whether it worked or not remained to be seen.

There was silence between them for a moment. She wasn't sure what she could say around him. They had only just stopped wanting to tear one another apart, not to mention her own growing attraction to him. She was afraid that saying or doing the wrong thing would take them back to how they were before. She sure as hell didn't want that.

Rex finally broke the silence by clearing his throat. "Okay, I'm not the only one noticing this, am I?" he asked her.

Sophia's mouth felt dry all of a sudden. "W-What?" But of course, she knew exactly what. She was just a little relieved that he could see it too, could feel it too. Maybe she wasn't crazy after all.

He gestured to her and them back to himself. "This thing between us," he clarified. "We stopped hating each other, we talk like we're best friends, and I suddenly find you really-" He abruptly stopped himself, pressing his lips together and averting his eyes.

Her red lips curled into a smirk. "Please, don't stop on my account," she teased, leaning forward slightly. She searched his face and was a little excited to see that his eyes glinted with something akin to lust. Her stomach churned and her skin prickled in anticipation.

"Go on, Reginald," she almost purred. There was something new and thrilling about using his real name now. She was close to him now, but not quite touching him as she propped her head up with her elbows. "What do you find me?"

Rex swallowed thickly as he finally met her eyes and she could have cackled in amusement. But he turned the tables on her by bringing up a hand to caress the curve of her cheek. "Gorgeous," he breathed, as if in a trance.

Sophia flinched away from his touch in surprise, not expecting that. She had expected him to cross his arms and dodge the question, but this... Her cheek tingled where his hand had made contact. She blinked up at him, unsure of what she was supposed to do now.

OoOoOo

Rex immediately pulled his hand away as if he had been burned. Of course, if that were the case, Sophia's impossibly soft skin burned in the best way. "Sorry!" he attempted to amend. His heart was racing in his chest as he looked at her shocked face. 'Idiot, idiot, idiot!' he scolded himself. Why the fuck had he gone and done that for? "I, God, I'm sorry Sophia, I don't know what I-"

That seemed to snap her out of it as she held her hands up to placate him. "No, no, it was my fault!" she insisted, her cheeks a riveting shade of red. "Hera, I'm sorry, Rex!"

She looked so inexplicably angry with herself that he felt a pang in his heart. "It's okay," he assured her. He hadn't brought her here to upset her, after all. "It's fine. I'm good if you're good."

Sophia giggled nervously and he was strangely disappointed when she didn't snort. "I mean, we're adults," she said, though he wasn't sure if she believed that. "This isn't a big deal... right?"

"Right," he agreed quickly. He had begun to like how comfortable they were getting with one another and he'd say anything to keep that.

Neither of them said anything for a moment before she spoke again, "But you are right." She looked up at him through her long, thick eyelashes. She seemed nervous, but determined and thoughtful at the same time. "I... I feel like something's pushing us together."

Rex nodded. "Definitely," he agreed. Why else would they be so comfortable around each other all of a sudden? Why else would he desperately want to touch her, to hold her?

Sophia bit her lip nervously. "And do you think it's a good thing or a bad thing?"

How could he answer that? God help him, he was starting to think he actually liked Sophia. But was he really crazy for that? She was smart and funny and she seemed to take everything in stride. She was laid back to a point but definitely knew when to be serious. She was witty and graceful and her eyes shone with intelligence and strength and-

And he couldn't tell if these were his own feelings or feelings forced upon him by whatever was pushing them together.

"I don't know," admitted Rex after a while. "I hope it's a good thing."

Sophia gave him a small but soft smile as she reached over the table to him. He slender fingers curled around his own and- adulthood be damned- he thought he felt his heart skip a beat.

"Me too," she replied and that was all Rex needed to lean forward and kiss her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was really kicking my ass, could you tell? I hate everything about it and I wish I could burn it. That is NOT how I wanted their first kiss to go. Anyway, I hope you liked it and please review!


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... here you go I guess. Hopefully I do better than last time.

It was like once he had kissed her, that was all he wanted to do.

All throughout lunch, Rex kept stealing glances at her lips. They were red and plump and soft and they curved in just the right way when she smiled or frowned. He watched as the gently curved around her fork when she went to take a bite and she would give a throaty, sensual moan in delight. Every part of him was throbbing, urging him to kiss her again. He fought it off though, knowing that she probably didn't have a lot of time for her break. Well, she was the boss, but that was neither here nor there.

Sophia knew damn well what she was doing too. Occasionally, her blue eyes would dart up to meet his. She would give him a smile that was innocent enough, but her eyes shone with mischief.

Once they were finished, they rode back to the firm on his motorcycle. She was pressed upon him, arms tight around his torso as she hid her face against the harsh winds in his jacket. He forced himself to relax into her embrace and found that he rather enjoyed it. Although, her body against his made it a bit hard to focus on the road.

They finally arrived, all too soon for his liking, and he stepped off the bike. "Your stop, Princess," he announced. He had recently discovered that he liked the nickname 'Princess' for her. It was nice that he could use it as a term for affection rather than an insult. He held his hand out to her, intending to help her off.

Sophia looked at it for a while and for a second, he thought she was going to reject it. He almost sighed in relief when she placed her small hand in his larger one. "Thank you, Rex," she said softly as she stepped onto the pavement. "For lunch and for the ride. I had a lot of fun."

Rex almost beamed at her but settled for a small grin instead. "No problem," he responded. He glanced down at her pretty mouth again, but this time she caught him in the act.

She quickly closed the distance between them until their noses were touching. "Reginald," she purred (he could have sworn her tone was seductive), resting a soft hand on his face. "If you wanted another kiss, you could've just asked."

This time, it was she who kissed him.

Much like there kiss in the diner, it wasn't long. Sophia tenderly caressed his lips with hers for a moment and he savored the silky feel of them. He kissed her back, his own hands cupping the delicate curves of her cheeks. She pulled away all too soon and gazed up at him through her pretty, thick eyelashes and smiled at him.

"Wow," he breathed. His lips tingled slightly and he resisted the urge to touch them.

She giggled, snorting that cute little snort. "I'll see you later, Charmer," she told him with a wink, stepping away from him.

Rex tried to ignore the fact he immediately missed her close proximity. "Charmer?" he repeated, a small grin tugging at his lips. "What's that about?" Though, he had a feeling he'd be hearing a lot of it.

Sophia smirked. "Your new nickname," she informed him. "You get to call me Princess, after all. It's only fair."

He raised an amused eyebrow. "So, are you saying that I've successfully charmed Sophia Wayne?" he very blatantly flirted. He'd never really been one to hide his attentions. Now that he knew there was something between them, he very much intended to act on it. "I feel honored."

Just then, a young man approached them. He looked slightly older than Rex with perfectly-in-place hair and a suit that looked like it was riding up his ass. "Miss Wayne," he addressed Sophia, blatantly ignoring Rex. He rolled his eyes at that; another socialite, then. "I've some inquiries about the case that I'd like to discuss with you."

Rex immediately took note of how Sophia's mood fell and decided that he really didn't like this guy. Her eyes hardened slightly and her stance became a bit rigid as she regarded the prick. Though, she kept her tone friendly. "Of course, Mr. Holland," she replied rigidly. "I will meet you inside."

The prick- Holland- seemed to accept this as he walked inside. Rex turned to look down at Sophia. "I don't like him," he stated plainly.

She sighed. "That makes two of us," she agreed. She took a deep breath before smiling up at him. "I really did have fun today. We should do it more often." She leaned up to press her lips to his cheek. "Bye." She turned to walk back inside the building, leaving him alone.

This time, Rex allowed himself to touch where her lips had met his skin. "Bye," he whispered back, even though she was long gone.

OoOoOo

Even though she'd had to deal with Holland for an hour, Sophia was on cloud nine as she locked up the firm for the night. She was excited to see what the future held for her relationship with Rex. It shocked her to her core, but she actually really liked him. He was so patient and understanding and willing to listen; it was a nice change from her usual flings.

She draped her white, fluffy coat over her shoulders and braced herself against the frigid, night air. She shuffled over to her car- a silver Ferrari that had been her welcome home gift- and noticed a piece of paper on the windshield. Sophia tilted her head and reached to grab it, hoping that it wasn't a ticket. She'd never hear the end of it if it was.

Her stomach clenched, however, when she saw what was written. Suddenly, she wished it was a ticket because at least she could just pay for it and be done with it. But this... She had a feeling this was never going away.

Written on the page were five simple words: I know what you did.

Sophia glanced around, trying to see who might have left this note. But the dark streets of Gotham City were empty; the only sound she could hear was the wild beating of her heart.

She gasped for air, trying to regain her composure. What did this mean? Did someone know what happened in France? She gulped as she stepped into her car, starting up the vehicle. "No one knows," she said out loud, trying to convince herself. It had been an isolated incident that no one other than her parents had been informed about. "No one knows."

But something told her this wasn't true. Something told her that she had just been made a target.

OoOoOo

When Sophia arrived home, her mother was in the kitchen. She wasn't cooking, of course- Diana never cooked- but she was reading a book. When she saw Sophia standing there, she beamed. "Hi, baby," she greeted, immediately embracing her. "How was work?"

Sophia hugged her mother back, halfhearted though it was. "Fine," she answered, still thinking about the note. She knew she couldn't tell her parents; they'd probably ship her off to Antarctica this time.

Besides, she had already faced the shame of their disappointment before. They'd had to come to her rescue before in France, she wasn't ready to go through the humiliation again. Besides, she didn't want to pester them with this again. She would handle this threat herself, she just didn't know how yet.

Diana smirked. "Did Reginald come to visit you?" she asked slyly.

The note temporarily forgotten, Sophia's cheeks burned. "Y-Yeah," she stuttered, clearing her throat. "He took me to that little diner on the corner of Lyle. Nothing fancy or anything." She conveniently left the kiss out, opting to save the memory for herself. She wasn't willing to share that with the world just yet.

A perfect, dark eyebrow raised at her. "Did you enjoy yourself, darling?" she teased.

She huffed, not too keen on her mother's taunts. "It was fine," she replied. She thought back to the kiss and flushed harder. Her mother had known exactly what she was doing when she'd told Rex about her job. "Um, how was your day?"

Diana sighed. "Tedious," she answered in a way that reminded her of herself. It was nice to know that she shared at least a few habits with her mother. "Damn monitor duty again."

Sophia chortled; her mother had always hated monitor duty. "I never understood why you guys didn't just hire people for that," she stated. There was more to being a hero than just fighting, after all. "I mean, most of you all signed up to fight. Why not hire people who want to help out differently?"

Diana hummed in thought. "Well, I'm sure we certainly could," she mused. "Perhaps I'll speak to your father about it..."

She nodded. "You do that, Mama," she yawned, stretching her arms. She gave her mother a kiss on the cheek. "Well, I'm going to bed. Probably gonna look at more apartments tomorrow." She'd been searching for around a week now. As much as she adored her parents, she was an independent soul. She'd lived on her own for seven years, after all.

Her mother made a face. "Do you have to move out so soon?" she asked. "You only just got here..."

The corners of Sophia's mouth quirked. "Mom, you know I love you guys, but I need my own place," she reasoned. "You don't expect me to live with you forever, do you?"

Diana pouted. "No, I suppose not..."

She snickered. "Goodnight, Mom."

Her mother, who was- and would probably always be- taller than her- placed a kiss on the crown of her head. The action warmed her from head to toe. "Goodnight, my Sun and Stars," she responded lovingly.

And suddenly, Sophia was reminded of the note left on her windshield. Her mother and father were ignorant of the fact that they had been compromised. She knew she should tell them, but how could she? She didn't think she'd ever had the courage.

So, Sophia said nothing as she retreated up the long, winding staircase.

OoOoOo

Sophia had just gotten out of the shower when she spotted a package on her bed. She pursed her lips, her eyebrows furrowed as she took in the plain, brown box. Her mother hadn't mentioned a package for her... Then again, her mother probably hadn't been here to retrieve it. Had Alfred dropped it off in her room? That was a possibility.

Tentatively, she pried open the cardboard, prepared for a trap of some sort. Instead, there was only a simple photo of a woman. Upon closer inspection, she realized that the woman was her and she was stark naked.

Her lips parted in shock as she stepped back, allowing the picture to drift to the floor. She recognized where she was in the photo; that had been her apartment in France. From the looks of it, she had just stripped out of her clothes and was preparing to get ready for bed. Sophia's hand shook as she reached for the picture, flipping it over.

'Just in case you missed my earlier message,' it said. 'Wonder if your little boyfriend knows what you got up to in France... Sexual or otherwise?'

Sophia stared for a few moments more before promptly running to her bathroom and heaving the contents of her stomach into the toilet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WELL it was a little better than last time... I hope you liked it and please review!


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please note that this chapter was done while I was sleep deprived. Enjoy anyway!

At some point during his pining, Rex had to stop and think for a moment.

It had come to him while he was in the middle of reading The Perks of Being a Wallflower (a book that he felt spoke to him on a spiritual level). He didn't know why he hadn't thought about this before. Although reading always seemed to make him see the logical side of things, so he could understand why he hadn't been thinking clearly.

Things had fallen apart so suddenly with Mareena. He had just... changed his mind. Mareena's big, hurt eyes still haunted him to this day. He loathed to admit it, but it scared him how his feelings had just switched.

If he was to enter a relationship with Sophia, would the same thing happen again? He winced as he replaced the mental image of a hurt Mareena to a hurt Sophia. His heart throbbed at the thought.

Rex took off his reading glasses and massaged his temples. Could he really pursue a relationship with Sophia knowing that he could hurt her in the end? He sighed, marking his page and closing his book. He didn't know what to do. Should he just play it by ear? Or should he stop seeing Sophia all together? It was her heart on the line, after all.

'Then shouldn't Sophia be able to decide for herself?' questioned a small part of him. Again, this voice often got him into trouble. Still... talking with Sophia and letting her make the call seemed fair. This way, there would be no uncertainties in their relationship going forward.

Well, none that he could prevent, anyway.

He sighed as he stood up from his couch, pacing back and forth. How would Sophia even react? She had been nonchalant thus far, but he hadn't seen her heart threatened before. What if she didn't want to take the risk? What if she wasn't willing to put her heart on the line?

Rex shook these thoughts from his head. If that were the case, he'd just have to deal with it.

OoOoOo

"You know, we should really stop running into each other like this."

Rex rolled his eyes under his helmet. "We've never run into each other like this, Sophia," he deadpanned as he knocked another goon out. Really, he had never expected to see Sophia in her suit so soon and especially not in his little town. Then again, New Hale was just outside of Gotham. Perhaps she had just been flying around.

Sophia gave him an affronted look, her silver headpiece highlighting her face in the moonlight. "Do identities mean nothing to you?" she exclaimed dramatically, flipping another one into a brick wall.

"Goons don't listen," Rex pointed out. The two quickly made work of the goons; there had been a gang-issued drug deal going on. He had just started to intervene when Sophia had shown up as The Liberator (he wasn't going to use the French pronunciation, not even in his head). He- being an honest man- had to admit that the suit did her justice.

It was a black one-piece that began just above her breasts and stopped mid-thigh. Her silver boots- with no heel to them, he noted- reached past her knees and matched her headpiece and bracelets perfectly. She had both her sword and her lasso attached to her right hip and a utility belt around her waist. She bore no symbol, but she wore star earrings and a star rested in the middle of her headpiece and belt.

Not to mention, it hugged her curves perfectly.

It was hard to focus on fighting when Sophia's body was on display. Well, maybe that was an overstatement, but it was still the most skin of hers that he'd ever seen. He was just lucky that his helmet hid his lingering gaze.

As they wrapped up, Rex noticed Sophia pause and inspect something out of the corner of his eye. Curious, he made his way over to her. "Did you find something?" he asked. Perhaps the goons had left behind a clue; maybe it could help him shut down these drug dealings once and for all.

But Sophia jumped when she heard his voice, stuffing whatever she had found into her belt. "Oh, nothing!" she attempted to brush him off. She chuckled nervously, a forced smile painted on her face. "Just the warehouse address."

He tilted his head. "Then why'd you put it in your belt?" he questioned. Something wasn't adding up here. Sophia was one of the most confident women he'd ever met and he'd grown up around the women of the Justice League. Why was she acting so jumpy? He studied her face for a moment and noticed that her eyes darted back and forth as if looking for something.

Or someone.

She pursed her lips for a moment before winking. "Any particular reason you're watching me so intently, Warhawk?" she very badly flirted. She leaned in closer to him, hands against his chest.

Rex gave her a blank look, seeing right through her attempts at distraction. "Alright, Princess, what are you hiding?" he inquired, lightly flicking her cheek. Lucky for him, he couldn't really feel her hands through his armor.

Sophia frowned at his rebuff and crossed her arms. "And here I thought you thought I was hot," she huffed, turning up her nose.

Oh, she didn't know the half of it.

He rolled his eyes. "Stop deflecting and just show me." Sometimes, he could see bits of the Sophia he had grown up with. The stubborn, arrogant girl he knew was still there; she had just matured. It wasn't necessarily bad, but it could be a bit grating at times.

She stuck her tongue out. "No."

Rex groaned and was about to let it go when an idea came to him. She was going to kill him for it, but his curiosity was getting to better of him. So, taking a chance, he took hold of her hips and placed his lips on hers.

Sophia gave a surprised squeak but soon melted into his embrace. He almost smirked at that as he ran his hand through her long, dark tresses. He almost wished he didn't have his gloves on so he could feel the silkiness of it. His other hand, however, slowly made its way down to her utility belt. Careful not to touch what she wouldn't want him to, he reached in and took out the piece of paper.

She realized what he was doing, but was too late to stop him as he pulled away to inspect it. "Hey!" she exclaimed in outrage. She reached to get it back, but he looped an arm around her waist. "I'm serious, Rex, give it!"

She was struggling against his hold, but Rex kept her firmly on the ground. "Not until I finish reading it," he dismissed. He looked over the paper and his blood suddenly ran cold.

'You'll pay for what you did, Sophia Wayne,' it read. 'Your days are numbered and I'll make what's left of them hell.'

Rage he rarely experienced suddenly filled him as he let her go. "What the fuck is this?" he hissed. His hand curled into a fist so tight that his knuckles turned white and he clenched his jaw so hard that he was sure his bottom teeth could break.

She was being threatened? And she wasn't going to tell him? What the actual fuck was wrong with her? He glared harshly at her and it was all he could do not to yell at her. He was a bit angry at her, but that was nothing compared to what he felt for the person threatening her. He would tear the fucker limb from limb if he ever got the chance.

A sudden protectiveness burned in his chest. Someone actually had the nerve to threaten the woman next to him. Oh, the bastard better hope he never found out who it was...

Sophia didn't back down, placing her hands on her hips. "None of your fucking business," she shot back. She was giving him the coldest glare he had received from her since her return. Ironically, she- despite mostly resembling her mother- she favored her father as she did so.

It would have been funny if it wasn't her life she was gambling.

"Sophia-!"

"Rex."

Rex was about to retort when police sirens were suddenly audible. "Shit," he swore under his breath. He massaged his temples for a moment before taking hold of her arm. "Come on." He was far from done with her, but he never stuck around for the cops to start asking him questions he didn't want to answer. They could talk more at his apartment

But Sophia pulled away. "Why so you can lecture me more?" she demanded. "I'm not a child, in case you hadn't noticed!"

Oh, he'd noticed.

He glared at her, silently cursing her name in his head. Of course, she was going to argue with him right now. Well, unfortunately for her, he lacked the patience for her pouting. Without warning, he took hold of her waist and flung her over his shoulder.

"Rex!" she shouted at him. "What the fuck? Put me down!" She flung her fists against his back, but he could tell that she was barely putting any strength behind them.

"You weren't listening," Rex told her simply. He took off into the air, holding on tight so that he wouldn't drop her. He felt bad for manhandling her, but what was he supposed to do? She wasn't cooperating. "So we're going somewhere where you will."

Sophia finally relented, huffing as she rested against the crook of his neck. "Asshole," she remarked. He gently ran his fingers against his leg as a silent apology as he made his way toward his apartment.

OoOoOo

Apart of her knew she probably should have fought harder against him.

But that wasn't really an option for Sophia. She was angry and she might have ended up hurting him. Besides, the other part of her wanted to see his apartment. Who knew? Maybe something would happen between them. She had seen the way he was eyeing her during that fight. And him carrying her like that was a bit of a turn-on.

Or she was just overly-horny.

Sophia sighed as they entered his apartment. He gently placed her on the couch before closing the door behind him. As he did so, she took a moment to examine her surroundings. The apartment was pretty nice; it had a lot of space and was very well-kept. Though that wasn't a surprise, seeing as though Rec had been a neat freak as a child.

Speaking of Rex, she remembered how angry she was with him. "Was it really necessary to kidnap me?" she demanded, crossing her arms. That was a little excessive. Though, she was being a bit stubborn.

He chuckled at her, plopping down onto the couch next to her. "I just wanted to make sure you were safe," he admitted. "Sophia, your life is being threatened and I might just be paranoid, but it seems like this has been going on for a while."

Well, he caught her there. She sighed again, leaning back onto the couch. Should she tell him? She'd been getting these letters for a few weeks now... But would it put him in danger? Would it piss off her stalker?

Sophia glowered as she was reminded of her stalker. That asshole was the reason she was in New Hale in the first place. He had instructed her to go to the address of the warehouse. The jackass must have known Rex would be there and the bastard wanted this to happen! Was he/she trying to tear them apart?

She took a deep breath. "So what if it has?" she questioned. "Why do you care?"

Rex surprised her by tucking her hair behind her ear. "Because I care about you," he told her. "Soph, what's going on?"

Sophia looked at him- really looked at him- and found her resolve melting at the concern shining in his eyes. "Do you really want to know?" she drawled rhetorically. Hera, she felt like she needed to tell someone because this secret was eating away at her. But what if she did tell him? She really fucked up in France, would he look at her differently?

Would he think she was a monster? Hell, she thought she was a monster.

He took her face in his hands and kissed the top of her head. "Only if you want me to know," he accepted. "I wished you'd told me about your stalker so I could have done something, but you don't have to tell me everything if you don't want to."

She shook her head. "No, I do," she insisted. If anyone, she'd want to tell him. She didn't want there to be any secrets between them. Still... "But I don't think I'm ready to tell it."

Rex nodded, accepting this as he gently pulled her onto his lap. She flushed but rested her head against his muscular chest. "Then don't," he assured her, his chin resting atop her head. "But please promise me you'll tell me when your life's in danger."

Sophia closed her eyes as she felt herself being lulled to sleep by his steady heartbeat. "Promise," she mumbled as she felt herself drift away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not my best, but I think the length makes up for the shortness of last chapter. I was actually gonna have Sophia tell Rex why she came back, but I figured that it's to early for that. Anyway, please review!


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here you go, my lovelies! Please enjoy!

As Sophia softly snored against his chest, Rex absentmindedly rocked her back and forth in an attempt to soothe her. As he held her, he couldn't help but think that she was in real danger. He knew she could take care of herself- she had beaten him, Danica, and Jon as kids- but he also knew she was stubborn. If she needed help, she wasn't going to tell anyone. He liked that she was independent, but he didn't want her to get herself killed.

He immediately winced at that thought. Why was he being so melancholy all of a sudden? Sophia wasn't going to die; he was never going to let that happen. Besides, her parents were Batman and Wonder Woman. He knew she would be safe within their walls.

Then again, hadn't Sophia mentioned something about moving? He bit his lip; could they protect her if she wasn't living with them? Then again, he had a feeling that she didn't want their- or anyone's- protection.

Rex sighed, distractedly drawing circles on Sophia's thigh. He blinked, noticing that something was poking his cheek. He glanced at her headpiece and realized that she was still in her full suit (he was too, but he was going to change later). He took off her headpiece first, then her wrist guards and earrings. Her boots were next to come off as well as her sword and lasso. Rex cursed under his breath as he reached for her belt; this was the second time tonight.

He had just gotten it off when one of Sophia's eyes popped open. "Is it my turn now?" she asked with a smirk, her voice weary and soft.

Rex rolled his eyes. "Maybe another time," he drawled sarcastically. An amused grin tugged at his lips as he tried not to indulge her antics. She was supposed to be sleeping, after all.

She childishly stuck her tongue out. "You're no fun," she complained. She nestled her head into the crook of his neck and he could feel the curving of her mouth. "So, when do I get to see the bedroom?"

He shook his head at her. "Get your head out of the gutter," he chastised. He looked up at the ceiling as he worked up the courage to ask her what he so desperately wanted to know. "Hey, Soph?"

"Mmm?" came her tired response.

"How long have you been getting notes?"

He felt Sophia tense as she raised her head to look at him. "Why do you ask?" she shot back, dodging the question. She looked much more awake now than she had just a few seconds ago.

"Don't change the subject."

She gave a heavy sigh, shifting so that she was no longer sitting on his lap. Ignoring how much he missed her warmth, he gave her his full attention. "Do you remember that day you took me out to lunch?" she asked him.

Rex raised an eyebrow. "Yeah..." That had been weeks ago. Where was she going with this?

Sophia bit her bottom lip. "I got the first one later that night," she revealed.

His eyes went wide. "That was almost a month ago," he reminded her, being careful not to raise his voice. She didn't want her to think he was scolding her. "Do your parents know about this?"

Her cheeks flushed as she looked down at the floor. "Not exactly..." She scoffed, crossing her arms. "They'd probably banish me to Themyscira if they ever found out."

Rex inhaled deeply. There was so much going on and he just wished she would tell him but he also didn't want to pressure her. Still, he didn't want her to have to face it on her own. He was here for her, but she needed to let him in. "Soph-"

Sophia interrupted him by plopping herself back onto his lap. "You know, I don't know why we're talking about this," she began seductively, lightly running her nails down the back of his neck. "when we could be doing something much more fun."

He shivered at the sensation but kept his eyes on hers. "Stop trying to distract me," he insisted, his jaw clenched. However, he couldn't stop his own fingers from threading through her soft hair. Something he had learned about Sophia Wayne was that she was hard to resist. God, didn't he know how hard he was trying to focus?

God, he felt his suit getting tight. Didn't she know that he was using every ounce of his restraint to stop himself from taking her right now?

She gave him a satisfied smirk before leaning in to press her lips to his neck. "You're strong," she murmured sensually against his skin, her hand resting on his bicep. "I bet you work out a lot, huh?" She began to attack his throat with her mouth, gently kissing and sucking the sensitive skin there. She moved so that she was straddling his hips as she ravished his neck. Nearly every part of him was screaming at him to fuck her senseless but he knew that he couldn't for several reasons.

For one, she was only trying to distract him. He knew that she was using this as an excuse to silence his questions. Another reason was that he didn't want their first time together to be like this; rushed and sloppy. If they were to sleep together, he was going to make it very romantic because sex was personal to him.

Despite what people thought, he considered sex more than physical need. It had to wait even with how attracted he was to Sophia, especially because it was Sophia.

Mustering up all the self-control he had, Rex placed his hands on her shoulders and gently pushed her away. "Soph, no," he told her gently but firmly, caressing the soft curve of her cheek with his thumb.

Sophia flinched away from him, blinking at him in shock. Her full lips formed a surprised 'o' as she drew herself back. "I..." He felt bad; she looked like she didn't know what to do with herself. She stood abruptly, guilt and embarrassment shining in her eyes. "I'm sorry." She turned around and left and it was his turn to be shocked.

Rex stood there dumbfounded for a moment, a bit unsure as to what just happened. He stared at the spot Sophia had occupied before sighing. "Shit." He quickly went after her, hoping he hadn't hurt her.

OoOoOo

Sophia hadn't felt this embarrassed in a long time.

She flew through the air, the harsh wind slapping against her cheeks. Tears of humiliation welled in her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. He had told her no, it was as simple as that. He was entitled to a choice and he was right to tell her to stop. She knew how important consent was; Hera, she of all people knew how important consent was.

Still... No one had ever told her no before. If she'd wanted to sleep with someone, she'd start and they'd comply. There would be no doubt, no disagreements, and no objections. Men and women had willingly fallen into her bed without question.

Did... Did Rex not want her?

She stopped flying for a moment to stare at herself in the mirror. She was a very confident woman, she had never really worried about her looks before. She still had her hourglass figure and her long, dark hair and her full lips. She couldn't see why he wouldn't want her, at least physically. She tilted her head, trying to find a single flaw in her body. As she gazed down, she noticed that she was barefoot. She vaguely recalled that Rex had taken off her boots (and the rest of her gear) while she was sleeping.

She wiggled her toes. Were her feet too big?

"Soph!"

Sophia tensed at his tone, whirling around to face him. She felt her cheeks heat up at the sight of him and she looked away. "I'm sorry," she repeated quietly. She felt guilty for not asking him before she acted. She had been acting impulsively, which wasn't something she did often anymore.

It was just... hard for her to talk about her personal life. She'd wanted to distract him the way she knew best, but she'd end up ruining everything.

Just like she always did.

Rex took her face in his hands. "Hey, it's okay," he assured her softly. His helmet was off, so she could see the affection shining in his eyes. "I'm not mad at you. Please don't cry."

Cry? Sophia touched her cheek and sure enough, tears were streaming down her face. Oh, now she was really embarrassed. She sniffed. "I'm not crying," she muttered childishly, wiping her eyes.

He gave her an indulgent smile. "Of course not," he agreed. He kissed the crown of her head. "You didn't do anything wrong. I just want it to be special, you know?"

She winced at that, looking down. Is that what this was? "I'm not a virgin, you know." She had thought it was obvious, with how careless she and Danica had been (they had thought they were the masters of stealth back then). Did he think she was pure or something?

Rex tilted her chin up. "Neither am I," he told her. "But I care about you, Soph. I don't want this to be a fling or anything. I want it to mean something to me and to you."

Sophia sniffed again, looking up at him through her tears. "So, you do want me?" She sounded like an insecure teenager as she said this, but she didn't care at the moment. She was very tired, strangely hungry, and just a little horny.

He gave her an exasperated look. "Are you kidding? I had to force myself not to take you on that damn couch."

She giggled, her smile watery but genuine. "Didn't know you were that much of a pervert, Reginald," she teased. She yawned. "Hey, do you know where we can get something to eat, by any chance? I'm really hungry."

Rex checked his watch. "Well, it is pretty late," he replied. "There's a place I know that's opened at this time. Are you in the mood for tacos?"

Sophia smirked. "Rex, I'm always in the mood for tacos. Just lead the way."

He sighed. "Soph, you might want to change first," he suggested. "Or at least put your boots on. You're barefoot."

She looked down and noticed that he was right. "Oh, yeah." She began to fly in the direction of his apartment. "Well, I guess we'll head back first then. By the way, do you think my feet are big?"

"No. Why?"

"No reason..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I like this chapter a lot better than the last one. Anyway, I hope you liked it and please review!


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! This chapter was giving me a hard time, but then I had a dream of inspiration and woke up a 4:00 because I couldn't go back to sleep or I'd lose it. Please be warned that this chapter contains slightly graphic attempted rape. Anyway, I hope you like it and please review!

"I dated Mareena."

There was something wrong with him. There had to be; why else would he just blurt that out of nowhere? He had gone over in his head how he'd wanted to start this conversation. Maybe casually mentioning the blond before easing her into it or even admitting it over text. But this? This was beyond stupid. Of the all things he could have said, why that?

But Sophia didn't seem angry or even annoyed. She simply raised a dark eyebrow at him. "Oh yeah?" she replied, the tiniest bit distracted. She had decided to look over a case while they were at lunch, but he could tell that she was paying attention to him. "What happened?"

Alright, so she wasn't one to shy away from the talk of exes; that was a good sign. Still, she might not be so keen to know had he had torn Mareena's heart out of her chest. "I broke up with her," he told her, studying her face. "I didn't have a reason, I just did."

She looked up from her case, her eyes slightly hard as they narrowed at him. "What the hell is wrong with you?" she demanded incredulously. Here it came. She was going to tear him a new one. She was going to end their forming relationship. She was going to-

"Have you seen her ass? Why would you give that up?"

Wait, what?

Rex titled his head at her. "You aren't mad?" he asked. He was sure that she would have dumped him right then and there. Wasn't she afraid that he would do the same to her?

Sophia shrugged flippantly at him. "If you don't want to be in a relationship, that's your choice," she reasoned. "Besides, do you know who you're talking to?" She tossed her hair over her shoulder. "Hon, I broke so many hearts in France that I can't even name them all."

He rolled his eyes, but couldn't help the relief that swelled in his chest. She wasn't angry, she understood. Everything was going to be fine between them. He had to smile; how could that brat who threw a fit over a tear in her stockings have grown into the woman across from him?

He glanced around the little diner, which was empty as usual. The only other person there was the waitress and a man in one of the corner booths. Sophia had ordered the lasagna- as she always did- and he had opted to try the spare ribs. He had learned that when she was fixated on something, she didn't let go easily.

Suddenly, Sophia's phone chimed with a message. She took it out and glanced at it, reading the message. Her eyes hardened slightly before she shoved the device back into her pocket.

He raised an eyebrow. "Something wrong?" He didn't know what it was, but something told him to press her about this. There was just... a shift in the atmosphere of the room. Or was it just between them?

Her lips curled into a frown. "Work." She rolled her eyes. "They're always up my ass about something." There was an edge to her voice that he couldn't quite identify. It was somewhere between irritated and... was that fear? Did Sophia Wayne even know the meaning of fear?

Should he continue to press? He knew she was a very private woman and that if she wanted him to know she would tell him. Still, he couldn't shake the feeling that he should be concerned. He sighed and shook it off; Sophia could handle herself. "Okay, then," he accepted.

He didn't bring it up again.

OoOoOo

As Sophia retreated back into her law firm, she couldn't help her internal panic. 'He knows I'm lying, he knows I'm lying...' played over and over in her head. There was no way he couldn't know. Rex wasn't an idiot- quite the opposite- and everyone knew how much she liked to talk. Unless she was hiding something, it was hard to shut her up.

She sighed, massaging her temples. A part of her knew she should be honest with him, but she just couldn't bring herself to show him. She knew things would turn serious and why would she want things to be serious when she was having so much fun? She glanced at the text again: 'Your ass looks great in that pencil skirt. Wonder what's underneath.' Attached was a picture of her walking into work this morning.

Sophia scowled, slamming her phone down on the edge of her desk. Lately, these messages were getting a little less threatening and a lot more... flirty? Perverted? She didn't know the word for it. It made her uncomfortable anyway.

She self consciously adjusted her skirt, tugging it down a bit. She hadn't thought too hard about her skirt, but was it inappropriate for work? This was the first time her stalker had commented on her attire, after all. Had her employees thought something of it? Hera, had Rex thought something of it?

Sophia's jaw tightened, removing her hands from her skirt; this stalker was making her paranoid. There was nothing wrong with her outfit. She had never been insecure about her clothing choices and she wasn't going to start now. Whoever was sending her these messages could fuck right the hell off.

She made sure to tell them that too.

After replying to the text, Sophia got back to work. With renewed vigor, she plowed through the rest of her work for the day. Not only that, she was able to finish her work for the next day as well. She had always been like that; working off her stress was kind of how she'd graduated high school early. Although, a small part of her wished she hadn't done that sometimes.

She had never really stopped to enjoy her time at Gotham Academy. Though, to be fair, a large part of that was her inability to connect with her peers. After all, nearly all of them embodied what she hated about Gotham City; selfishness, narcissism, and manipulation. That atmosphere was so toxic.

No wonder younger Sophia was such a brat.

It embarrassed her sometimes late at night when she couldn't sleep. She remembered the heated arguments she and Rex would get into, arguments that were sometimes initiated by her. She also recalled the temper tantrums she could throw. Of course, they never worked on Alfred and seldom got positive results with her parents.

She had to grin though; her brothers had been wrapped around her pinkie finger, as had most of the League.

She was brought out of her thoughts by a knock on her door. "Come in," she called, glancing at the clock. Damn, it was already past closing time. She really did get lost in thought.

Holland entered her office and her mood immediately soured. Why did he have to bother her constantly? "Evening, Miss Wayne," he greeted, something akin to a smirk on his lips. "Getting ready to leave for the night?"

Sophia gave him a tight smile. "Just wrapping up some things and then I'm out," she replied tersely, standing up from her chair as she collected her papers. She wished he would just leave her alone. Why was he always on her about something? She quickly packed up her things, eager to get out of there.

Something shone in his dark eyes. "Are you heading over to New Hale to see your little boyfriend?" he asked.

She scowled. "Unfortunately, that's none of your-" She cut herself off, her eyes wide. It felt as though her heart had leaped into her chest as she swallowed thickly. She'd never told anyone that Rex lived in New Hale.

Suddenly, a memory hit her: 'Wonder if your little boyfriend knows what you got up to in France...' It was him, he was her stalker.

Everything happened at once.

A baseball had been flung at her and her reflexes had kicked in as she caught it in her right palm. However, she hadn't anticipated the circular metal object that had been thrown seconds after. It latched itself onto her left wrist, digging into her skin. Immediately, she felt something shift inside her, though she didn't know what it was.

Sophia hissed in pain as the object tightened around her wrist. "What the fuck is this?" she demanded, glaring angrily at her assaulter. She attempted to pull it off, only to find herself weak against it. What was going on?

Holland chuckled menacingly as he approached her, cupping her cheek in his hand. "Just something that'll stop you from snapping my neck, love," he purred. She attempted to slap him, but he caught her wrist. "Now, none of that, gorgeous." He pushed her up against her desk, his hands finding her hips as he began to assault her neck with his mouth.

She trashed against him. "Get off of me, you fucker!" she all but shouted. "Let me go!" By now, she should have flung him halfway across the firm. Not only were her powers not responding, but she was also beyond weak and suddenly tired. What had he done to her?

He ignored her as he easily lifted her onto the desk. "I've wanted this for weeks," he murmured into the crook of her neck. He reached his right hand up to grab her breast. "You've been such a tease, walking around in those skirts and those tight blouses. You're finally mine, slut." He all but tore open her blouse, her buttons shooting across the room.

Sophia suddenly felt cold as the air hit her bare skin. "Stop!" she demanded, still fighting. She could tell she wasn't going to get anywhere though. She could feel her energy draining. As much as she hated to admit it, she was at his mercy and there was nothing she could do about it.

That didn't mean she wasn't going to stop resisting. She would never submit.

Holland chuckled again. "Feisty," he remarked, making his way down her neck to her breasts. "Just how I like it." He lapped his tongue across the top of her breasts and she grunted in disgust. She was so angry and humiliated and scared all at once. Of course, she wouldn't give him the satisfaction. She continued to kick and thrash with all of her remaining energy, hoping that it would do something.

Sophia shut her eyes as tight as he could as he continued to attack her breasts. She could feel everything; his tongues, his hands, and even his teeth were all part of the onslaught.

Hera, this was starting to hurt. She wasn't a virgin, but the deranged bastard was biting her. They weren't gentle little live bites either; she was surprised he wasn't drawing blood. She felt tears well in her eyes as she bit back a sob. "Please stop," she whimpered.

He laughed, taking amusement in her suffering. "Love, we've hardly begun," he taunted. He hauled her off of the desk before bending her over it. She felt his clothed erection brush against her core as he hiked up her skirt.

This renewed the fight in her. "NO!" she insisted, attempting to kick him away. She might not have been the most conserved with sex, but it was still a special thing to her. She slept with people she cared about and trusted, not just with anyone who wanted to. Dangerous rage suddenly overtook her senses. Who the actual fuck did this man think he was?

She was Sophia Martha Wayne, Gotham's Princess. She was the daughter of Wonder Woman and Batman, a Princess of the Amazons. She would not allow herself to be taken like this.

Without warning, she grabbed the lamp that sat on the corner of her desk and slammed it against his temple as hard as she could. He stumbled back and she quickly got up, flipping him onto the floor with all the strength she could muster.

Her chest heaved as she struggled to breathe, but she forced herself to keep it together. She looked at Holland and worried for a moment that she had killed him. She was about to panic but noticed that he was still breathing. Relief washed over her; that would have been very bad for her.

Sophia blinked back the tears that threatened to fall as she glanced down at her torn clothing. He almost... She shook her head, trying to erase the memory from her brain. She swayed slightly, just barely catching herself on her desk.

What was she going to do? She knew she couldn't drive like this, she was going to cause an accident. She glanced at her phone which had been out of reach until recently. Could she? But Hera, what was she going to say? Could she even tell him? Would he still want her after this?

'Stop being a pussy and just call him,' she hissed at herself. She sniffed but gathered the courage to oblige. She dialed his number and impatiently waited for him to pick up.

He did so after just two rings. "Hey, Soph," he greeted. He may have sounded nonchalant, but she could tell he was happy to hear from her. That almost put a smile on her face. "What's up?"

Sophia sniffed. "I..." she began. But the words didn't come out. It felt like whatever she wanted to say was stuck in her throat.

"Are you okay?" Rex suddenly demanded, his voice concerned and alert. "Soph? Hey, answer me." She stayed quiet, unable to say anything. "Sophia!"

She winced at his slightly raised voice. "I'm fine," she responded quietly. But then she realized that wasn't really true. "Or, I am now." Her voice shook and she was scared that she was going to start crying.

"What happened?" he asked gently.

Sophia sniffed. "Can you just come to get me?" she begged. She felt her hands tremble and knew that she was about to have a breakdown. She needed to get out of here. "Please?"

There was a pause. "I'll be there in ten minutes," promised Rex.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, Holland was the stalker... Did you guys see that coming? Poor Sophia. But I'm sorry to say that things are going to get worse for her. Much worse. Anyway, I hope you liked it and please review! Oh, and happy holidays!


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So last chapter was crazy, huh? Well, enjoy the fluff in this chapter cuz next chapter's bat shit wild. Please enjoy!

His heart was pounding so hard in his chest that he thought it was going to burst.

Rex sped across the highway from New Hale to Gotham, more than sure that he had broken at least five traffic laws. But none of that mattered in his mind. Sophia was in danger and she needed him. He would gladly take a ticket over having her be alone for another second. He just hoped that he got to her in time, he hoped that he wasn't too late.

Finally (finally), he pulled up to Sophia's law firm. Immediately, he spotted her figure perched on the stone steps. Relief flooded through his heart at seeing her alright as he stepped out of his car, rushing toward her.

But upon further inspection, he mentally took a step back. Her usually life-filled blue eyes were a blank gray as they stared out into the street. Her hair which was always kept in a neat bun for work was strewn all over her head as if she had just woken up. Though, that was nothing compared to what he noticed next.

Her blouse was ripped down the middle, her bra on full display. The bare skin of her exposed breasts was marred with painful-looking hickeys that matched the bruises on her arms and legs. Her skirt was ruffled and... and was she missing a shoe?

Bile rose in Rex's throat as he slowed his approach. He had a pretty good idea of what had happened here, but he didn't think he could bring himself to say it out loud. The idea was too horrifying, too unbelievable. "Soph?" he rasped, his mouth suddenly very dry.

Sophia looked up at him as if she hadn't noticed he had pulled up. Her bottom lip trembled as if she were about to burst into tears at any moment. "R-Rex?" Her voice shook with uncertainty. It was if she wasn't sure that he was really him.

He had to do a double-take; was this the same woman that had tried to seduce him on his couch? He blinked hard, trying to get himself to focus. "Hey, baby," he greeted softly, kneeling down to her level. He kept a good distance away from her, trying his best not to scare her.

She gave him a puzzled look (he had never called her baby, he realized offhandedly), but rewarded him with a small wave. "H-Hi..."

Rex evaluated the situation before him; he knew that he had to be very careful not to scare her away. He noticed how her arms covered her revealed chest protectively. "Are you cold?" he asked, already stripping off his jacket. She might have been cold, but that wasn't why he had asked. "Here, take my coat." He offered it to her.

Sophia gazed at it for a moment before reaching forward tentatively. She took the jacket from him and draped it over her shoulders, pushing her arms through the sleeves. "T-Thank you." She seemed to bury herself in the too-large coat.

He gave her what he hoped was a reassuring smile. "You're welcome." He glanced around, searching for any trace of whoever had done this. Though, the pit in his stomach was telling him he knew exactly who had done this.

She peered up at him with her big blue eyes. "C-Can we go?" she pleaded with him. "Please?"

Rex immediately nodded, standing up from the ground. He offered her his hand and she stared at it for a moment before finally taking it. He gently pulled her to her feet and led her toward his car. "You can lay down in the back if you want," he offered. "Or recline the passenger seat. Whatever is cool with me."

Sophia rocked back and forth on her feet. "I... I guess I'll lay down," she decided, shuffling toward the back seat. He made his own way into the driver's seat and started up the car.

Though he was putting on a brave face for Sophia, Rex's knuckles were white as he gripped the steering wheel. He peeled off away from the firm, his jaw clenched tightly. Rex glanced at Sophia in the rearview mirror and noticed that her gaze was trained onto the car's ceiling. His knee bounced slightly as he realized he had no idea about the extent of her injuries.

He swallowed thickly; had she been raped? He knew that she had been assaulted at the very least, but did she need a doctor. It was probably safer to go that route. He didn't want her hurt. He quickly requested a route to the nearest hospital.

This seemed to register with Sophia as she sat up slightly. "No," she insisted. "No hospitals."

Rex glanced at her. "Soph, I just want to make sure you're alright," he replied, attempting to placate her. "You have to-"

"No," Sophia interrupted vehemently, her voice a little louder. She sat up, her eyes narrowed. "I'm not going to the hospital."

He sighed, pulling over so that he didn't cause an accident. Of course, she was going to argue with him now; she wouldn't be Sophia if she didn't. "Listen, I don't know how injured you are," he explained, trying to keep the irritation out of his voice. "And if you're seriously hurt, I don't have anything to take care of you."

She scowled at him before practically shoving her arm in his face (it was good to know that the firecracker in her was alive and well). "Once we get this off," she began. He assumed she was referring to the black bracelet on her wrist. "I won't need any medical attention."

Rex titled his head. "Why do we need to get that off?" he asked, confused. He knew that she wasn't big on jewelry, but why did she want it off so bad? "And why can't you take it off yourself?"

Sophia huffed, leaning back in her seat. "Can you just take me to your apartment?" she snapped. Her face softened slightly as she lowered her head and peered at him through the hair covering her face. She looked like she was going to burst into tears. "Please?"

Well, how could he say no to that?

OoOoOo

Rex focused on the contraption latched to her arm, his eyebrows furrowed in concentration. "Damn, this thing's tricky," he remarked, working the tools in his hand. His other hand gripped Sophia's forearms firmly, making sure it stayed still. "Whoever designed this knew what they were doing. It's hard to overload." He had found that the bracelet was an inhibitor collar of sorts, designed to block Sophia's powers.

The woman next to him twisted her hair nervously with her free hand. "So, you can't get it off?"

He gave her a wink in hopes it would put her at ease. "Of course I can," he assured her. "Just be patient and I'll have it off in a second." He continued to work at it until... "Ah-ha, there we go." It snapped apart, freeing her. "Your powers should be back soon."

Sophia rubbed her sore wrist. "Thanks," she said quietly. He swore, never in her life had Sophia Wayne been this quiet. She always had something to talk about, something to share. As a child, he used to find it irritating. Now, he wished she would talk to her heart's content.

"Soph," spoke Rex softly, grabbing her attention. "I know you just went through hell, but can you tell me what happened? I want to make sure you're okay."

Her bottom lip trembled again and he was afraid she was going to start crying. Instead, she took a deep breath and started to explain her story. Her hands shook throughout and he knew it took everything in her not to break down. "I knocked him out and that's when I called you," she finished. She wiped a few stray tears from her eyes.

By the end of her story, Rex was sure that he was shaking with rage. It burned his heart, fighting to be brought out. He'd already guessed the gist of what had happened, but hearing her say it was different. Hearing her explain, in detail, of how the bastard had violated and humiliated her made him want to rip him apart with the talons on his suit.

He stood with his jaw clenched, resolved to beat the ever-living hell out of Holland. But something stopped him; a gentle hand settled on his upper arm. He looked down at Sophia and observed her sad blue eyes.

Almost instantly, Rex felt his anger leave him. What the hell was wrong with him? Sophia didn't need him to defend her honor or lose his temper; she needed him to be there for her. This was about her, not him. He plopped back onto the couch next to her and took her hand in his. He drew circles on her wrist with his thumb, hoping it comforted her. "Do you need something?" he asked gently. "Name it and I'll do it."

Sophia drummed her fingers against the couch. "I really just want to get out of these clothes," she admitted. "The stupid fuck ruined one of my favorite work shirts."

The corners of his mouth twitched with amusement. There was his girl. "You can borrow some of my stuff," he told her. They were going to be big on her, but he was sure that was the last thing on her mind. "Anything else?"

She shrugged. "I guess a shower," she answered. A dark, tortured looked crossed her face, but it was gone in an instant. She looked like she was going to say something, but her stomach growled loudly instead.

Rex chuckled. "Dinner too," he added. "Done. You go take a shower and I'll start on the food." He was glad she was willing to eat, he just hoped that she would continue to.

Sophia gave him a small smile. "Thank you," she said, sincerity radiating from her voice. She made her way over to the bathroom, but not before pressing her lips to his cheek. He flushed, but couldn't help the goofy smile that forced its way onto his face.

OoOoOo

Sophia scrubbed herself as hard as she could.

But no matter how hard she tried, his touch lingered on her skin. She was feeling so much at once: pain, humiliation, rage, fear. She felt like an idiot; Holland had always been a creep. Everything about him had put her on edge. So why hadn't she done something before this happened? She could have prevented it! But like the fool she was, she'd ignored it. And all for what? Her pride. That had been demolished anyway.

She sighed and ceased her intense scrubbing, allowing the water to wash over her hair. She decided to forget about Holland for a moment and move her thoughts to more pleasant things.

Sophia smiled serenely. Rex had been her savior this evening. Perhaps she had defended herself, but it had been him who'd rescued her. Waiting for him, she'd feared that Holland would wake up and she'd have no way to defend herself. Instead, Rex had shown up and taken her to safety.

She knew she had been testy with him in the car, but going to a hospital would complicate things. There would be questions. It wasn't even the fact that it would wound her pride. They'd examine the device on her arm, question her face healing, etc. Her identity- her entire family's identity- would risk being compromised.

Only, it already had been.

She couldn't believe Holland had been her stalker. He'd known that she was the Liberator, he'd known what she'd done in France. But had he been smart enough for that? She had looked into him shortly after returning to the States and he hadn't seemed like a cunning, dangerous guy. In fact, her sources implied that he had cheated his way through school.

When she thought about it, Sophia could remember attending Gotham Academy with him. They weren't around each other much due to their age gap, but she recalled him being notorious among the student body. He had a record for getting high and cutting class. In fact, he was barely lucid half the time.

Could someone like that really grow up to be a stalker and rapist? Something wasn't adding up... She shook her head, turning off the faucet. She just wanted to put this behind her.

OoOoOo

When she came out wearing Rex's oversized T-shirt and sweats (both tied to keep from sagging), Sophia was surprised to see fried chicken, biscuits, and macaroni and cheese set on the table. Rex himself was on his phone, but his eyes lit up when he spotted her. "Hey," he greeted. "Have a seat. You can have as much as you want."

She gave him the biggest smile she could muster and sat down. "You're such a sweetheart," she gushed, genuinely pleased. Most of the people she had dated before had never liked to cook for her. This was a nice change. "It all looks so good."

Rex flushed with embarrassment and pride. "It's not much," he muttered humbly. He gestured to the food. "Dig in." She did just that.

Throughout dinner, the two of them talked about various things. They talked about how dumb they were as kids, how much exes suck, and other random subjects. She had actually learned that Rex was an IT worker and was really good with computers. That explained how he had known how to get that inhibitor bracelet off of her.

They both avoided the subject of what had happened earlier and she didn't know how to feel about that. On one hand, Sophia was glad that Rex didn't want to remind her. On the other, she didn't want him to walk on eggshells around her. But she certainly wasn't going to talk about it. It was better to leave it alone.

At one point, she let out a loud yawn. Rex gave her an endearing smile. "Looks like someone's tired," he commented. "If you don't want to go home, you can take my bed if you want."

Sophia shook her head. "I couldn't do that," she protested. "It's your bed, after all. I'll be fine on the couch." She definitely wasn't going home; her mother would pester her with questions. At least if she stayed over here, her parents could make their own assumptions.

But he shook his head. "Seriously, just take my bed," he insisted. "You know how my dad is, he would kill me if he knew I was letting you crash on the couch."

She had to chortle at that; Uncle John had adored her when she was a child. She was sure that she had been his favorite of all the other League kids (aside from his son, of course). Thinking about it, it never made sense why she and Rex hadn't gotten along when his parents loved her and her mother adored him. "If you really want me to," she relented.

OoOoOo

Rex led Sophia to his room. "I'll be just out there if you need me," he assured her. He watched as she walked over to the bed, her hand skimming the soft comforter. He clenched his jaw as he watched the way her hips swayed when she walked; now was not the time to be a pervert. "I, uh, probably won't sleep tonight, so don't worry about waking me up."

Sophia glanced over to him, curious. "You have insomnia?" She hadn't known that. Her father had insomnia too, she's lost count of how many times she'd found him roaming the manor.

He nodded. "Yeah," he answered. "I usually take a pill for it, but I ran out last week." He shrugged. "Doesn't really bother me though."

She yawned again and climbed into the bed. "This bed is big," she remarked. She raised a suggestive eyebrow at him. "Big enough for two." She looked up at him hopefully.

She wanted to take things to the next level in their relationship. She genuinely liked Rex; he was smart, charming, and caring. He always listened to her and was gentle when he needed to be. And goddammit he was hot! It annoyed her that it was taking her so long to sleep with him.

But as he said, it had to be special. She could get behind that. Right now could be special. Tonight had increased her affection for him tenfold. She could feel the desire to sleep with him swell in her chest. She wanted to make this connection with him, wanted to show him how much she adored him.

Rex swallowed thickly. "You know this isn't the right time," he replied. But every fiber of his being was protesting this statement. 'Someone tried to take her from you,' a voice inside his head reminded him. 'Mark her. Make sure everyone knows she's yours.' She wasn't his and she wished that part of him would understand that. She was her own person and she didn't belong to anyone. "Holland, he-"

Sophia rose from the bed, her red lips curling into a seductive grin as she slowly approached. "There's a special place in Tartarus for Holland," she finished for him. She wrapped her arms around his neck. "Why don't we forget about him, hmm? We have other things to focus on." She leaned up and pressed a searing kiss to his lips.

It took a few moments, but he eventually kissed her back. His hands found her hips and pulled her closer until she was flush against him. He deepened the kiss and her lips curved against his. They seemed to fit perfectly together, her small frame nestled in his larger one. She guided him to his bed and he was more than happy to follow.

Rex dipped her but didn't quite set her into the bed. He gazed into her sapphire eyes, so full of passion and affection. Her cheeks were flushed pink and her hair fell behind her. She was perfect, absolutely perfect.

Sophia smiled up at him, overjoyed that he wasn't shying away. She couldn't think of a better way to rid herself of Holland's touch. She pressed a quick kiss to his mouth. "Fuck me," she whispered sensually.

He shivered, searching her face for hesitation. "Are you sure?" he asked, caressing her cheek. He wanted to make sure that she was ready. He wanted to make sure that he wasn't taking advantage of her.

She raised a teasing eyebrow. "Are you?" she shot back. She got her answer when he all but pinned her to the bed.

Rex wasted no time. He peppered her neck with chaste butterfly kisses which were so different than the painful bites Holland had inflicted upon her. His hands were stationary at her waist as she titled her head back. She clawed at his back, her body tingling with anticipation.

It was then that Sophia realized how desperately she wanted this. She had never craved someone's touch the way she craved his. Her crotch burned with impatience as he took his time with her.

Rex wasn't doing much better. Everything inside of him was screaming at him to just rip her clothes off. He forced himself not to, though. He said this was going to be special and he meant it, dammit. His hands slowly moved up her shirt and he grazed over her right breast. She gasped, arching her chest toward him. His other hand joined in and soon both hands were massaging her chest.

Sophia moaned, practically tearing off her shirt and tossing it onto the floor. Most of the bruises were gone and she hoped he would take advantage of that. His lips trailed from her neck to her breasts and then down her stomach. When he got to the band of her sweats, he tugged on it, silently asking permission. She nodded and he wasted no time in pulling them off.

Rex leaned away from her slightly, gazing at her with an unreadable expression. Sophia's stomach rolled as she looked up at him with concern. "What?" she asked worriedly. "What is it?"

He brushed his knuckles gently against her face. "You are so beautiful," he whispered. She flushed with both embarrassment and happiness. Before she could respond, he captured her lips in another kiss.

Unknown to either of them, there was a soft glow to both of their skins.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Allow me: FINALLY! FUCKING FINALLY! I figured that I had to give them this. I kind of owe it to them for the shit I'm about to put them through. Anyway, I hope you liked it and please review!


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please enjoy.

Bliss.

That was all Sophia felt when her eyes fluttered open the next morning. The dull, aching pleasure between her legs couples with the strong, warm arms encircled around her gave her a temporary sense of euphoria. She closed her eyes for a moment to relish in the comfort and serenity, taking a deep breath. She hadn't felt this calm in a long time.

She turned her head slightly to study the man next to her. He was actually asleep, his mouth parted slightly as he snored softly. Sophia giggled quietly and couldn't help but press a light kiss to his jaw.

She took a moment to think about what had transpired last night. It had finally happened. And it had been unlike any other time she'd had sex. Last night had been passionate and powerful and desirable and perfect. She was sure that she had never felt like that before, certainly never with a man. Her cheeks flushed when she recalled just how big Rex was. When he had entered her, she had worried for a moment that it wouldn't fit.

It had been a ridiculous thought, of course, but she hadn't exactly been thinking rationally.

Sophia buried her head into the pillow, embarrassed. She sounded like a teenager again, but she just couldn't help it. She had never felt this with anyone, not even Danica. Rex had reduced her to a trembling, moaning, screaming mess and she had loved every minute of it.

He, in turn, had shown her a side of him that she had never seen. The lewd, risqué things he had murmured to her still rang in her ears. She'd had no idea that he could be so... dirty. Her certainly never acted like it.

She had to smile; it seemed as though there were a lot of things she didn't know about Rex Stewart.

As if reading her thoughts, he began to stir. Immediately, she averted her eyes as she didn't want him to know she had been staring. There was nothing creepier than staring at someone while they slept.

To her surprise- and elation- Rex pressed a quick, sleepy kiss to her lips. "Morning," he greeted tiredly.

Sophia giggled. "Morning," she returned. "Sleep well?" After his insomnia confession last night, she was surprised he slept at all. 'I must have tired him out,' she thought a bit haughtily.

But if she was being honest, last night had taken a lot out of her as well. She'd gone through at least six orgasms, maybe more. She had never been with someone who could keep up with her, most people had to stop after three at the most. Danica's metabolism probably should have allowed her to go further, but she was just too fast.

She felt Rex's hand absentmindedly caress her hip, making her shiver. "Better than I thought I would," he admitted. "Last night..." He searched her face for her thoughts.

Sophia was all too happy to provide them. "Was amazing," she finished, smiling up at him. "I've never felt so much at once before. Gods, is it always like that with you?"

He smirked, nuzzling the crook of her neck. "I'm glad you liked it," he replied lowly, the vibration of his voice shooting across her body. "But to answer your question, last night was unusually... powerful? I can't really describe it. I just know that sex isn't supposed to feel that good that hundredth time you do it."

She smirked up at him. "You've slept with a hundred woman?" she teased him. She knew he was exaggerating and she had to agree. Regular sex didn't feel like that, no matter what you felt for the person.

Rex gave her a dull look. "You know what I mean."

Sophia blew him a kiss. "Of course," she replied noncommittally. She leaned into his embrace for a moment and firmly decided that she wasn't going to work today. That was probably for the best anyway since she didn't know how to even approach dealing with Holland. Should she call the police? That was an option. But Gotham's finest weren't really known for tact or work ethic.

Besides, sexual assault in Gotham was small compared to the other crimes committed. She was also afraid that Holland could spin the story on her. There were no cameras in her office, anything could have happened.

"You can stay with me today if you want," offered Rex, catching her by surprise. "We can figure out what to do about that jackass later." How had he known what she was thinking about work and Holland?

Sophia blinked, but shrugged it off. "As long as I'm not imposing," she responded. She untangled herself from his arms and stood up slowly, making sure to give him a good view. "I'm gonna hop in the shower if you don't mind." She thought about winking, but decided she didn't want to lay it on too thick and quickly left the room.

She heard him groan behind her. "I know what you're doing, Sophia Wayne!" he called after her.

She snorted. "Obviously," she retorted. That was the whole reason she had done it, after all.

OoOoOo

That woman was going to be the death of him.

Rex sighed, discreetly pulling on the pair of boxers Sophia had torn off him last night. He smirked to himself; last night had been nothing less than mind-blowing. He had never imagined how undone she became overwhelmed by pleasure. Seeing the cool, calm, and collected Sophia Wayne tremble under his finger tips was enough to drive him wild.

Two hours. They had gone on for two fucking hours. He had never encountered someone who could endure him for that long. Even Mareena had complained that it was starting to hurt after the first two times she reached.

God, Sophia's body was the definition of perfection. Of course, he'd already known that after seeing her at the airport, but seeing her bare was completely different. She was undoubtedly the most beautiful woman in the world.

Rex grabbed his towel and patiently waited for Sophia to come out of the shower. He glanced around; they'd fucked so hard last night that he was surprised that the bed didn't collapse. He squinted, however, when he noticed that his dresser lamp had fallen forward. Odd, had one of them knocked it over? He didn't remember that. Shrugging, he set the lamp right.

It was then that Sophia came out, dressed in his clothes and her hair wet. "I texted Beth and told her I wasn't coming in," she announced. She stared at his bare chest for a moment before shaking her head. He almost smirked. "I'm yours for the rest of the day."

He chuckled, pressing a kiss to the side of her head. "Good to know," he remarked. "I'll be right back. You can watch TV in the living room if you want." She nodded and went to do just that.

He hopped in the shower quickly. Rex took a deep breath, allowing the warm water to run down his skin. He winced at a slight stinging sensation, but almost laughed when he discovered the source.

Scratches. There were a lot of them too. They ran up and down his arms, torso, and upper back. They were shallow, but that didn't stop the sting. Sophia definitely liked to play it rough. Although, what was he expecting from an Amazon?

Shaking his head, Rex finished up and exited the bathroom. Sophia, from what he could hear, had turned on the news. She had told him weeks ago that she hated the news, but watched it anyway because she liked to make fun of the anchors. "They sound like mindless drones," she had said. To be fair, she wasn't entirely wrong. In fact, the bland tone was how he could tell she was watching it.

When Rex finished getting dressed, he went out to the living room. "Hey, Soph, are you hungry? There's a diner around the corner that we could-" He stopped talking as soon as he saw her.

Sophia's skin was pale, much paler than her normally olive skin. Her bottom lip was trembling and her hands were shaking, her eyes trained directly on the television screen. He could see the hurried rise and fall of her chest, as if she was struggling to breathe.

He was at her side in an instant. "Soph? Hey." He shook her shoulder slightly, trying to get her attention. She didn't even acknowledge his presence. "Hey, what's wrong?" Without looking at him, Sophia raised an shaky hand and pointed at the TV screen.

'Lawyer Scott Holland Found Dead'

OoOoOo

Sophia couldn't breathe.

The anchor's voice replayed in her head, "Mr. Holland was found dead this morning..." She hadn't heard anything after that, had blocked out everything around her. Her stomach twisted and she felt like she was going to throw up. Dead? How could Holland be dead? She remembered leaving him alive, she had seen him breathing! She hadn't killed him! She-!

"Sophia Martha Wayne!"

Sophia blinked at the use of her full name, turning to meet Rex's worried gaze. She tilted her head. "How do you know my middle name?" She was sure that she had never told him.

Rex glared at her. "Dammit, Sophia, you almost gave me a heart attack," he stressed, cupping her cheeks. "Are you okay?"

She shrugged. "I... I guess." Her hands trembled as fear settled in her chest. "I didn't kill him, I swear!" She didn't know why she had felt the need to say that. Only someone who was guilty would say that and she didn't do it. She was sure of it.

He gave her a strange look. "I never said you did..." he assured her carefully. Great, now he probably thought she was crazy. "Soph, why are you so freaked? It's Gotham, doesn't shit like this happen everyday?"

Sophia ignored that little jab to her city. "That's not the poi-" She was interrupted by the ringing of her cell phone. Her jaw clenched as she pulled it out of her purse and glanced at the caller ID. It was her father. She glared at the small device before shaking her head. Yeah, that was a no. She shoved it into her pocket, ignoring it.

Rex raised an eyebrow at her, but didn't comment.

"Friends found Holland unresponsive this morning in his apartment."

Wait, what?

Sophia craned her neck toward the TV, drinking in the reporter's words. She had left him unconscious in her office; she had never even been to his apartment. And this wasn't an average Gotham street crime either. Someone had deliberately targeted Holland just hours after he had assaulted her. Could that be a coincidence? It had to be; no one knew about the incident other than her and Rex.

She furrowed her eyebrows. It couldn't have been Rex, could it? She knew he had been angry last night, but angry enough to kill the bastard? She doubted it. Besides, he had been with her the entire night.

Sophia's phoned buzzed and she pulled it out again. Examining the screen told her she had one new message. The woman opened it, her eyes scanning the words in front of her.

She promptly dropped her phone.

Rex seemed startled by her reaction. "Hey, what is it?" he asked. She didn't answer, the words seemed stuck in her throat. She was sure that she was starting to shake. She just didn't understand, how was this possible? Holland was dead.

He picked up her phone and studied the message. "He touched what was mine, he had to go," he read. His own expression shifted to mildly horrified at what was being implied.

Holland wasn't her stalker and whoever was had killed him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> God, this chapter sounds so dead. Please excuse this chapter, I'm running on about 2 hours of sleep. Be warned, this chapter isn't edited. Anyway, I hope you liked it and please review!


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The moment you've all been waiting for. We'll finally see what Sophia's been hiding and what her stalker's been threatening her with. Please enjoy!

Sophia, Rex found, had been nearly inconsolable afterward.

She had paced around his apartment at least twenty times, muttering incoherently to herself (in a mixture of English, Greek, French, and other languages). A few times, he could make out things like, "All my fault" and "My parents are going to kill me." The woman was nigh hysterical; her hands shook constantly and when they weren't, they were tugging at her dark locks. He was almost afraid that she would tear her hair out.

Finally, Rex felt as though he had to intervene. "Soph," he said sharply, taking hold of her shoulders. She stopped and looked up at him. "Hey, you've gotta chill, okay?"

Sophia shook her head, her hair whipping back and forth. "I can't chill," she insisted. "You don't understand, this is getting worse. This person, they-" She abruptly silenced herself and averted her gaze from his.

He moved his hands to her face and gently caressed her cheeks with his thumbs. "They what?" he inquired softly. He knew he had to handle this very carefully; one wrong move could send her back into her frenzy.

She stared at him helplessly. "They know," was all she told him.

Rex felt his stomach drop slightly, though he couldn't understand why. She was the one going through a crisis, not him. "What do they know?" he pressed. He was bothered by his lack of knowledge of this situation. He already didn't like not knowing things (and really, who would?), but it really seemed to present an obstacle for him.

Sophia's nostrils flared slightly before her expression instantly morphed. Her expression changed from frantic to terrified and she shook her head even faster. "Please don't ask me that," she almost begged. "I can't lie to you and you wouldn't- you couldn't- understand."

He mentally took a step back, trying to comprehend what she'd just uttered. "What wouldn't I understand?" She was starting to scare him. Her usual composure was all but gone and she looked seconds away from breaking down.

But she went on as if she hadn't heard him. "Hera, you'd hate me-"

Rex felt his heart skip a beat at those words. What, was she crazy? He couldn't even wrap his head around hating her. Whatever this asshole was holding over her, they would deal with it. His opinion of her would never change. But as he saw her eyes shift in fear and anticipation, he could tell she believed it. She really thought that he was going to hate her.

Well, that wasn't going to work with him.

He took her by her waist and pulled her flush against him. She had no time to react as he pressed his lips to hers. She relaxed into the kiss and began to respond, her moans trapped by his mouth. Rex hauled her up and she wrapped her legs around his torso. He almost smirked as he slipped his tongue past her parted lips, deepening the kiss. She was ready for him, her tongue gently circling his.

When they broke away, her cheeks were flushed and her lips were swollen. "Rex," she breathed.

Rex grinned at her breathless expression. "Like that?" he couldn't help but tease.

Sophia rolled her eyes but gave him a flustered smile. "Asshole," she commented, her words holding very little bite. She seemed much calmer now, all but melting into his embrace.

He pressed his lips to the crown of her head. "Whatever it is, we'll deal with it," he swore. "I couldn't hate you and I think you know that." Obviously, he didn't know that for sure. If she was secretly a villain using him to get information on the League, he may have hated her. But that was ridiculous and impossible since she, like him, was the daughter of two founders. He knew she was a good person, he had seen her morality for itself.

Yes, he decided that it was very impossible for him to hate her.

She looked at him for a moment before taking a deep breath. "Get comfortable," she warned him. "This is gonna be a long story."

OoOoOo

_ Sophia Wayne was at the highest point in her life._

_At least, that was what it felt like as she treated herself to the local bar's most expensive martini for the fourth time. She didn't drink often, but this was a special occasion. After all, it wasn't every day that you graduated from university at the top of your class. She couldn't help but feel a bit smug; her mother had never attended college. Her father had, but not at twenty-three. She felt as though she had the right to celebrate._

_Though, most people wouldn't call this celebrating. But she wasn't most people. Besides, she had spent the last seven years studying. Not only had she studied French law, but American as well. It had taken everything within her, but she had finally done it._

_"Do you always spend your time in bars alone?"_

_Sophia was brought out of her thoughts by a smooth, silky voice. Next to her sat a man who looked like he was in his late twenties. He had neat, dark hair, pale skin, high cheekbones, and the darkest eyes she had ever seen. It looked like she knew what she was doing to not. Or rather, who. A smirk tugged at her lips. "No, I'm usually at home studying my ass off," she retorted. "But tonight is a special occasion."_

_The handsome man gave her a charming smile. "College student?" he guessed._

_She feigned surprise. "How did you know?"_

_He chuckled deeply. "You are very cheeky, mademoiselle," he remarked._

_Sophia bit her lip slowly, watching as his eyes darted to her mouth. "I hope that's a good thing."_

_The man leaned in close until their faces were only centimeters apart. "Why don't you show me?" he suggested. His hand came to rest on her bare knee and she shivered at the contact._

_She ended up going home with him. ___

_ _OoOoOo_ _

_ _In the present, Rex gave her an exasperated look. "Sophia," he said dryly. She had known the guy for all of ten minutes! It had taken him ten weeks (give or take) to get her to open up to him. But he was just concerned about her impulsiveness. He wasn't jealous. He definitely wasn't feeling a certain way that she had let someone else in so easily. Especially since she'd known him her entire life. Nope, absolutely not._ _

_ _If Sophia was bothered by his tone, she didn't show it. "I was tipsy and I needed a stress reliever," she reminded him with a shrug. "Don't judge."_ _

_ _He sighed, shoving away his envy. "Never mind that, just finish." She nodded and continued her tale._ _

_ _OoOoOo_ _

_ _ _The man's name was Noël Richard. He was twenty-eight years old and worked for one of France's major companies. Along with being charming and sweet, he was also great in bed. Sophia's interest was definitely caught and she had agreed to a real date with him. That began their relationship. He would buy her divine gifts and take her to expensive restaurants. For the first few weeks, things were perfect._ _ _

_ _ _Then, Noël had begun to exhibit mood swings._ _ _

_ _ _At first, they were minor. He would snap at her for bothering him or would tell her that she was talking too much. She had chalked that up to him being stressed from work._ _ _

_ _ _As much as that could sting, Sophia could understand. She'd had her fair share of stressful moments as she went through college. Besides, she knew that she was a lot to handle. She was talkative and annoying and- ___ _ _

_ _ _ _OoOoOo_ _ _ _

_ _ _ _Rex frowned. "You aren't annoying," he insisted, looking thoroughly offended._ _ _ _

_ _ _ _Sophia sighed at the interruption but couldn't help but smile. "Thank you, hon," she replied, placing a soft kiss to his cheek. It was nice to know that she didn't bother him like she had Noël. The two were very different. Perhaps that was what had drawn her to Rex. Still, she had a story to tell. "But if you keep interrupting, I'm never gonna finish."_ _ _ _

_ _ _ _He looked a bit sheepish. "Sorry," he muttered._ _ _ _

_ _ _ _She waved him off. "Don't worry about it," she assured him. She hoped he never apologized for caring about her again. "Now, where was I?"_ _ _ _

_ _ _ _OoOoOo_ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _Soon, arguments had begun to break out between them._ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _"Where the fuck were you?" hissed Noël one night after she entered his apartment._ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _Sophia blinked at the hostility in his tone. "I had a bill to pay..." she answered uncertainly, trying to gather her thoughts. She'd had a long day, maybe she had been out later than intended? She glanced at the clock: 7:25. What the hell? She was only ten minutes late, why was he acting like she was supposed to be here hours ago?_ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _He rolled his dark eyes. "Yeah, right," he scoffed. "You were probably out with some whore."_ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _That... stung a bit. She was bisexual, yes, but that didn't mean that she was a cheater. She had been cheated on before and it had hurt. She would never inflict that onto anyone. "I was paying my goddamn electric bill," she snapped, her own anger rising. "He- God, what's your problem?"_ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _A shadow passed over his face. "My problem is that my girlfriend isn't a very selective person," he spat, venom dripping from his tone. "You spread your legs for me in, what, ten minutes? How many others are you sleeping with?"_ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _Sophia bristled. "Fuck you," she spat back. If there was one thing that her mother had taught her, it was to never put up with anyone's shit. She turned around. "I'm leaving. Call me when you've stopped being a child." She left, making sure to slam the door behind her.___ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _OoOoOo_ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _Rex's lip curled. "That jackass," he commented, his words laced with disdain. He was completely disgusted. Who had raised that man? His father would have brought a belt to his ass if he'd even thought about saying anything like that to a woman. In all the years he'd insulted Sophia, insults about her sexuality or integrity had never crossed his mind. As much as he had disliked her, he knew she was loyal and genuine in her affection. Even if he hadn't, he never would have crossed that line._ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _Sophia never should have gone through that. Least of all from someone who was supposed to take care of her._ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _She nodded. "That he was," she agreed. "Now that I think of it, he was probably drunk that night."_ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _Rex shook his head. "That doesn't give him an excuse," he told her. "Being angry and snapping at you is one thing, but he crossed a line, Princess. He shouldn't have insulted you like that."_ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _Sophia shrugged. "Well, he did," she responded. She fixed him with a mild glare. "And if you interrupt one more time, I'm not going to finish."_ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _He sighed. "Sorry, sorry. Please, continue."_ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _OoOoOo_ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _Noël was scaring her._ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _"I can't fucking believe you!" the man shouted as he angrily paced around the apartment. His hair was a mess and his suit was wrinkled as she felt his stress levels rise higher and higher. "It doesn't matter where we go, you can never have any decency!" Occasionally, he would slam his fist on a surface or add a little more strength to his stomps._ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _"Noël, I didn't do anything!" Sophia insisted. Really, she hadn't. The evening had been going relatively well before the waitress had slipped her a phone number. She had stuffed it in her purse, hoping that Noël hadn't seen it. She hadn't wanted to upset him when they were having such a lovely time._ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _Apparently, he had. He had begun to tear her a new one as soon as they'd stepped into the apartment._ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _The dark-haired man got in her face. "What's her name?" he demanded. "How long have you been seeing her, huh? Hope she's good in between the sheets!"_ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _She pushed him away. "Stop it!" she shouted. In their weeks together, she had never seen him this angry. Well, she could get angry too. She was so sick of his shit. "You're acting like such a brat! You know I would never cheat on you! I've never seen that woman in my life."_ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _Noël shoved her with surprising force, causing her to stumble slightly. "You're a slut!" he flared. "You'll spread your legs for anyone, won't you? Anyone but me, huh?" He grabbed both her breasts._ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _Sophia slapped his hands away. "What the fuck is wrong with you?" she hissed. She felt her own anger rising and she was afraid that she'd do something she'd regret. She needed to leave and she needed to leave now. "That is it, Noël Richard!" She should have done this weeks ago. She had foolishly given him the benefit of the doubt. "We're over! Have a nice fucking life!" She made to leave his apartment._ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _Suddenly, she was pinned against the wall. Noël stared down at her, eyes alight with a dangerous, angry fire that she had never seen from him before. "You aren't leaving me," he asserted, nails digging into her arms._ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _"Let go!" she yelled at him. "Noël, get of the fuck off me!" He didn't know what he was doing. He had to stop, for his sake and hers._ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _Instantaneously, his large hands were wrapped around her throat. "How dare you talk to me like that, bitch." The detestation in his voice threw her. It was as if he found her unfit to breathe the same air as him. She didn't think she'd ever been regarded so lowly before. "I'm going to end you." He gripped her neck with all his might._ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _Sophia couldn't breathe. He was trying to choke her! She gripped his wrist, pleading with him to stop via her eyes. Why was he doing this? Why did he hate her? Something suddenly shifted inside her, but she would never be able to name it. Anger? Fear? Hatred? She didn't know._ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _But whatever it was caused her to kick Noël square in his chest as hard as she could. The force of her kick threw him back onto the floor. She heard several sickening cracks as he made contact with the ground._ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _Sophia struggled to catch her breath, her eyes never leaving the crumpled form of the man. She gazed at him in confusion. She saw the odd angle of his head and the strange way his eyes glazed over, but she couldn't seem to make the connection._ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _It hit her all at once and she rushed over to his side. "No!" she cried, checking for a pulse. Nothing. "No, no, no!"_ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _This wasn't happening, this wasn't happening. All her life, she had never strayed from one rule. One rule was so important to her that she had never even thought of breaking it. It had been instilled within her since birth and she had never wanted to break it._ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _Never take the life of another._ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _Yet here she was, standing over the body of a man she had killed. The one rule that meant more than anything and she had shattered it. It was at this moment that Sophia Martha Wayne knew that she would never be the same again.___ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _OoOoOo_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _When she finished her story, Sophia was in tears. "I-I didn't mean to!" she wailed. She suddenly felt much smaller than she was. "I swear, Rex, I didn't mean to kill him! He... He was hurting me and I just... reacted! I didn't, I would never-!" She gave up on speaking coherently as she pressed her tearful face into her hands. She sobbed as loud as she could, months of guilt and hurt finally forcing its way out of her._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _Rex was silent. He hadn't said anything since she finished her story and she couldn't help but assume the worst. He was disgusted by her. The 'no killing' rule had been ingrained into all of their (her, him, Jon, Danica, and even Mareena) heads their entire lives. They didn't kill; it went against everything that the Justice League stood for._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _Sophia gasped as she was suddenly brought into his arms. "What..." she managed, thoroughly taken by surprise. "What are you doing?"_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _He kissed the top of her head. "It was self-defense," he told her quietly. "This wasn't your fault, Soph. He was trying to kill you."_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _She shook her head. "But he couldn't have!" she protested. There were very few people that could harm her with brute strength alone. Most had to be on a level with Uncle Clark and her mother to actually be able to choke her out. "I killed him for no reason!"_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _Rex grabbed her chin, forcing her to look directly into his eyes. "Sophia, you felt as though your life was in danger," he reminded her. "This guy wasn't a villain or even a goon; you weren't fighting him. He was trying to kill you for no reason, of course you were going to react that way. I would never judge you for that."_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _Sophia buried her face into the crook of his neck and continued to sob. Her parents hadn't told her that it wasn't her fault. They hadn't said it, but she knew what they were thinking. She should have had a better handle on her powers. And she hadn't thought they were wrong._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _But Rex didn't blame her. He... He was treating her like she was the victim. She didn't know if that made her feel better or worse. So she just carried on with her crying._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _He gently rocked her back-and-forth. "Shh," he soothed. "You're alright. I promise. I could never hate you. Everything's gonna be fine. We'll deal with this together, okay?"_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _She nodded because, for some reason, she believed him._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, loooong chapter. Did not mean for it to stretch like that. Also, I think we all need a Rex and/or Sophia in our lives. Oh, and I've been thinking of trying my hand at smut and writing the sex scene between them in full. It would be posted as its own separate story to keep this one safe for teens. If you guys are interest, please let me know. Anyway, I hope you liked it and please review!


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact, I actually started this chapter before the previous one. In fact, I had completely forgotten about the previous chapter before I looked back and saw it. Heh... Anyway, please enjoy!

When Rex arrived at his apartment, he was surprised to see Sophia (in her pajamas) sitting with her back to his door. He raised an eyebrow. "Soph?" he questioned. The man racked his brain, trying to remember if they had planned to meet today. Had he accidentally ghosted her? Wouldn't he have gotten an angry text by now? Warning bells went off on his head when she didn't reply. "Sophia?"

She finally acknowledged him, raising her head to meet his gaze. "Hi," she mumbled. She was so quiet that if he wasn't part Thanagarian he was sure that he wouldn't have heard her. Sophia Wayne was never quiet.

He knelt to her level. "Are you okay?" he asked gently. His eyebrows creased as he attempted to figure out what was wrong. Had her stalker texted her again? Was she in danger?

Sophia shrugged indolently. "Don't feel so good," she answered. She raised her arms toward him, her blue eyes slightly unfocused. "Carry me?"

Rex was a bit surprised; Sophia never let him baby her. Still, he obliged to her request, hefting her into his arms. He carried her into his apartment and gently set her down onto the couch. "You said you don't feel good?" He ransacked his memories; had she ever fallen ill as a child? He wasn't sure. "What's wrong?"

The woman shivered, clutching her shoulders. "Cold," she complained, jutting out her bottom lip.

Odd, he wasn't cold. A glance at the thermostat told him that it was reasonably warm. Upon further inspection, he noticed that her cheeks were a rosy pink. "Hmm," he hummed, pressing the back of his hand to her forehead. Immediately, he recoiled. "Holy shit," he hissed. "Soph, you're burning up!"

How had she even gotten here? In her state, driving should have been next to impossible and he prayed that she hadn't flown. Where were her parents? Or Alfred! Shouldn't they have been keeping an eye on her?

Sophia gazed up at him with furrowed eyebrows. "But I'm so cold," she reminded him.

Despite his worry, Rex couldn't help the smile that tugged on his lips. Was it his fault she was so cute? "Soph, have you ever had a fever?" he asked.

"Don't think so," she answered. "You'll have to ask my mom." The woman considered this for a moment. "Never mind, ask Alfred."

He shook his head. He was almost tempted to tell her that she was being silly. "Do you know what hurts?" he inquired instead. He should probably get her Tylenol or something to bring her fever down, right? Then again, the pain killer might not get through her immune system.

Sophia shifted, burying her head into the couch cushion. "I feel dizzy," she answered sleepily, her voice muffled. "And nauseous."

Warning bells went off in Rex's head at that. He thought back to the night they had slept together; had they used protection? He couldn't remember. Everything had been going so fast that night and he had been so enthralled with Sophia at the time. Internally, Rex cursed himself. What was he, sixteen?

She peeked out at him. "Are you okay?" she asked, her voice laced with concern. "You look like you've seen a ghost."

He swallowed thickly. "Sophia," he began, his mouth suddenly very dry. "Do you think you could be... pregnant?" He gauged her face for a reaction.

Sophia recoiled slightly, an unreadable expression crossing her face. But it was gone in an instant as she shook her head. "No," she replied tersely. "I'm not pregnant."

The finality in her voice threw him slightly. But Rex ignored this and gave a firm stare. "Sophia, I didn't use a condom," he told her.

Her gaze hardened. "I'm not pregnant," she repeated, a bit more forcefully this time. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Reginald, I was trained by Batman; I know what condition my body's in." She didn't elaborate further.

Apart of him wanted to argue with her (because how could she possibly know that for sure?), but thought better of it. Instead, he pressed his cheek to hers. "Still burning up," he remarked. "Do you want something to break it?"

Sophia- the frustration had slipped away from her face and she just looked tired- shook her head again. "Won't work," she told him. "I'm just gonna have to power through it."

Rex sighed and kissed the top of her head. "I have an appointment across town in about an hour," he said. If he had known she was sick, he would have canceled. "but you can stay here if you want." He wasn't about to let her fly home like this.

"Okay," she agreed quietly, her eyes drooping. He grinned; she was just about sleeping at this point. "Have fun..."

He rolled his eyes. "Not my idea of fun," he replied dryly. He kissed her cheek this time and tried not to wince at how warm it was. "Just get some rest. I have some ramen in the kitchen if you get hungry; it should help you sweat out that fever."

Sophia nodded and held onto his hand for a moment. "Thank you."

Rex smiled at her. "You're welcome." He was tempted to stay with her but knew that he couldn't. She would never let him. So it was with reluctance that he left her.

But as he did so, he couldn't help the dread settled in his stomach.

OoOoOo

Sophia had concluded: being sick sucked.

She felt so weak. Her head was pounding and she felt like she was going to throw up any minute. How normal did people go through this? It was awful. She knew that she'd told Rex to ask Alfred, but going through her memory, Sophia didn't think she ever had been sick. At least, not like this.

She groaned, forcing herself to sit up. She had flown over here from Gotham on a whim; her mother would fuss and she wasn't in the mood to put up with it. She knew Rex would let her recover on her own, so she had sought him out.

As the room seemed to spin, fear crept up Sophia's throat along with last night's dinner. What if Rex was right? Could she be pregnant? She didn't think she was and surely she would know. Right? She shook her head, shoving the thought out of her head. She wasn't pregnant, end of the story.

Sophia blinked, her eyes adjusting to the dark room. At some point after Rex's departure, she had fallen asleep. She unwittingly wiped the drool from her chin, flushing slightly in embarrassment. The only times she drooled like that was when she was in a deep sleep. She was just glad Rex wasn't there to see it.

Her eyes heavy with sleep, Sophia groped around until she found her phone. She unlocked it, checking it for any messages or missed calls. Rex had called her once but had then texted her. There was a message from her mother and, surprisingly, one from Danica as well.

Rex: You didn't answer so I'll assume you're sleeping. I'm on my way home, need anything?

She had to smile; Rex had a way of communicating his affection that she just adored. She quickly replied, 'No, I'm good. Thank you.' Sophia then checked the message from her mother.

Mamá: Didn't see you leave. Is everything okay?

Sophia almost rolled her eyes but thought better of it. Instead, she responded with, 'Just feeling under the weather. I'm with Rex, love you.' She didn't say it nearly as much as she should.

She stared at the unread message from Danica for a while before finally opening it. She scanned the contents slowly, taking her time to process the words there. 'Hey, Soph. Miss you. Can we talk?'

Could they? Of course, Sophia still cared about Danica. Danica was her best friend, her first love, her first time. She would always hold a special place in her heart. However, there was so much loss between them. Seven years apart had changed their relationship. In their youth, Danica had been wild and fun and sporadic; all things she had loved. But Sophia didn't want that anymore. Rex was stable and steady and reliable; all things she wanted and needed. Noël, may he rot in the deepest depths of Tartarus, had taught her that. Until the incident with him, so much of her choices in life had been impulsive.

She was careful with who she gave her heart and body to.

Could she and Danica ever get back to that point? Perhaps. Should they? That was another story. She knew that Danica held lingering feelings and she also knew that she held lingering lust. She didn't think she should see Danica now that she was in a relationship with Rex (she would never cheat, but she knew how things escalated). At least, not yet. It was probably best to wait.

She tossed her phone aside.

Speaking of Rex, the door suddenly swung open. She jumped but relaxed as she noticed the green of his eyes in the dark. "Hey, Soph," he greeted, turning on the lights. She groaned, rubbings her eyes against the harsh light. "Sorry."

Sophia shrugged. "It's okay," she assured him. She yawned, stretching. "I'm sorry for just dropping in like that. I didn't want my mom to worry."

He plopped down next to her, looping an arm around her waist. "It's fine," promised, pulling her close. He absentmindedly caressed her hip. "Do you feel any better?"

She shivered slightly at his touch but snuggled closer to him. "Kind of," she admitted. "My head still feels like crap, but my stomach doesn't hurt as much." She hadn't thrown up once today, much to her relief.

Rex hummed in thought. "That's good," he replied. He pressed his cheek to hers. "Looks like you cooled down too. You must have sweat out your fever."

Well, that explained why she had woken up in a cold sweat. Disgusting. She groaned, burying her head into his shoulder. "Being sick is so gross," she complained. And it made her into a baby. She never acted like this, especially with Rex. "How do you do it every year?"

He shrugged. "I don't get sick that much," he admitted. "But yeah, it sucks. You're lucky; at least you're not hacking up mucus."

She shuddered: gross.

OoOoOo

Rex woke up to violent retching coming from his bathroom. He raised an eyebrow, pulling himself out of bed. It was from Sophia, that was certain, but he had thought she was better. Her temperature had been cool when they'd gone to bed. Had it spiked again? His blood ran cold as he jumped up to check on her.

Hesitantly, Rex rapped his knuckles against the bathroom door. "Soph?" he called. "You okay?" He waited anxiously for her answer.

The sound of her heaving the contents of her stomach answered him. "No," she groaned. The heaving continued.

Panic rushed across his veins, his fists clenching at his sides. "I'm coming in," he announced. He opened the door to see Sophia bent over the toilet, violently retching. He knelt next to her, holding her hair back. He attempted to remain calm to reassure her, but inside he was panicking. He had checked in with her mother; Sophia had never been sick. He had merely assumed that it was a twenty-four-hour bug, but that wasn't the case. Something was wrong.

After Sophia finished, Rex gathered her in his arms and laid her down on his bed. Her eyes drifted closed and he knew it wouldn't be long before she knocked out. The man sighed in relief when she fell asleep and he plopped down next to her, placing a soft kiss on her forehead.

He felt trapped; should he call her parents? That was probably the best course of action. But even if he did, would they be able to help her? Would it be better to bring her to a hospital? God, then questions would come up. No hospitals, then.

The chiming of his phone snapped him out of thoughts. Rex reached over to his nightstand to check the message he'd received. His stomach dropped as he read it, clenching the device in his hand. It took all of his restraint not to crush it into bits.

'Hey, Hawky! Heard the poor princess was sick. I hope it's not anything serious... If you want her cured, do exactly as I say. If you don't, well, let's just say Soph's in for a rough week.'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The plot thickens! What does Sophia's stalker have in store for our lovely couple? You'll just have to see... Anyway, I hope you liked it and please review!


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So these next few chapters will take place before the last one. Think of them as flashbacks of sorts so you can get a better idea of Sophia and Rex's relationship leading up to her illness. Anyway, please enjoy!

Sophia stuck out her bottom lip. "Are you sure you can't make it?" she questioned for the thousandth time. She had her arms crossed over her chest and her face was twisted into a pout. She leaned back against the couch, looking up at him through narrowed eyes. It had about the same effect that an angry puppy would.

Rex chuckled lowly. Sophia's parents were making her attend a charity ball in their place. He would have been her date, but he had work. "I would if I could," he swore. "but I have an appointment tomorrow night." He plopped down next to her, looping his arm around her waist. "I think you'll survive."

She huffed. "Fine," she accepted. "but if I throw someone out of a window, I'm holding you responsible."

He kissed the top of her head. "I'm fine with that," he replied, gently tugging her onto his lap. He almost wished that he could go. For one, he wanted to see what dress Sophia was wearing. She was staying quiet about the subject and the suspense was killing him.

There were also going to be rich kids dying to sink their talons into Gotham's most eligible bachelorette. After what Sophia had gone through, he was worried that there would be...complications. He was unsure how she would react if someone were to approach her.

Of course, Sophia said she was fine. But Rex wasn't an idiot. He saw the small flinches and the subtle tenses. He couldn't help but think that she should see a therapist.

She buried her face in the crook of his neck. "I just think you're being antisocial," she grumbled.

Rex laughed. "Maybe," he replied cryptically. He set his hands onto her waist. "Just power through it, okay? I'll try to meet you after and we can do whatever you want."

Sophia smirked. "I'm holding you to that, Reginald," she purred, shifting slightly.

He groaned, closing his eyes as her core brushed against his. "Save it for later, Princess," he contended, standing up. He pulled her to her feet. "I have plans for us tonight."

She grinned. "Can't wait," she responded.

OoOoOo

Sophia absentmindedly wandered out toward the balcony the next night. She felt the cool, crisp breeze ruffle her long, elegant dress. It was a quiet Gotham night, no signs of attack or disarray; there were never many of those. She ran her slender fingers over the cold stone, shivering slightly. The pleasant chatter of the party sounded in the background and Sophia was glad that everyone was getting along.

She just wished it wasn't so boring.

The young woman groaned, massaging her temples. Both of her parents were on missions, so she was left to handle the high-society of Gotham alone. Honestly, she would have pulled a no-show, but this was a fundraiser to repair the children's ward of the hospital. It was important for the Waynes to make an appearance and show support.

Sophia sighed, shuffling awkwardly. The adults inside were so stiff and stuffy. Even the people her age were trying to be miniature versions of their parents. Would it kill anyone to be spontaneous?

She tensed when a large hand settled on her waist. "A pretty girl like you shouldn't be this lonely," a deep, raspy voice uttered into her ear.

Sophia instantly relaxed, recognizing the voice. "Rex!" she giggled, shoving him away. She was sure that her entire face lit up as she tackled him in a hug. The woman pulled back, taking it in his dark suit and sapphire blue tie. "I thought you had to work late?"

Rex grinned down at her. "They canceled at the last minute," he told her. His hands stayed stationary at her waist as he stared at her Kelly green gown. "Interesting color, Princess." His thumbs soft caressed her sides, sending chills down her spine. "I can't help but feel you drew inspiration from something."

She smirked, raising an eyebrow. "I could say the same about your tie," she retorted. She had picked this dress out with Rex's eyes in mind. She never wore much green and had wanted to see how it would look on her. She still wasn't sure green was her color, but his appreciative gaze said otherwise.

Rex began to draw lines up and down her sides. "Well, you look gorgeous," he declared. His left hand traveled up her back before tangling itself in her hair. "Green suits you."

She smiled. "Think so?" she murmured. She moved her hand to the nape of his neck, stroking the sensitive skin there. "I think you look exceedingly handsome in blue." Well, he always looked handsome, but she didn't tell him that much. Perhaps she should make a habit of it.

"The dress is pretty on you," he continued, pressing his lips to the top of her head. The man cupped her cheek, lowering his head to her ear. "But I think you'd look better without it."

The line was extremely cheesy, but that didn't stop her knees from buckling at his words. She felt her cheeks grow warm with embarrassment as she ducked her head. "I don't think I'll ever get used to your dirty talk," she confessed, burying her head into his shoulder. All of a sudden, she felt extremely aroused. She needed to leave.

Sophia peered up at him, a sudden longing burning in her core. "The, um, fundraiser's almost over," she admitted, glancing over at the hall. People were already filing out, so she assumed it was safe to do the same. Besides, if she didn't get Rex alone right now, she was going to end up jumping him. "Do you, uh, wanna do something? Like right now?"

Rex smirked down at her. "Why?" he teased. "Feeling hot?" He mockingly shivered. "I think it's kinda cold."

She glared. "Reginald John Stewart, I will walk home and use my goddamn vibrator if we don't leave right now," she threatened. She bit her lip, the heat between her legs burning hotter. Hera, she felt as though she was going to burst.

He, of course, was taking joy in her suffering as he lowered his lips onto her neck. "I don't think you want that," he taunted into her skin. "I might ruin that pretty dress of yours." Though, as he said this, he slipped his hand into the slit of her dress. However, his hand came to a stop upon her upper thigh. "Are you wearing panties?"

Breathless, Sophia shook her head. "No," she gasped out without thinking.

Rex immediately recoiled. "Jesus," he hissed. It was his turn to look thoroughly abashed. "Why not?"

"I-I didn't want to have panty lines," she admitted, her face burning even more. She adjusted the skirt of her gown, making sure that nothing showed. The young woman studied his face and felt a small stab of victory at the desire sparking in his eyes. "Now can we go?"

He pressed his lips against hers. "Whatever you want," he agreed against her mouth.

OoOoOo

There was something about Sophia's expression after she reached.

Rex observed as her eyelids fluttered delicately as she attempted to force them open. He knelt over her, watching with fascination as her hips bucked and moans tore from her lips. He slowed down his movements, allowing her to recover as her grip on the sheets loosened. She let out a final, sensual gasp as she finished, eyes closing as she processed.

He wasn't too far behind her, groaning as he came to his own release. Rex grunted, nearly collapsing on top of the gorgeous woman beneath him. "Holy fuck, babe," he moaned into the supple skin on her neck. Fuck, she was tight.

Sophia whimpered a bit as he removed himself from her protesting folds. "That was eight," she remarked tiredly. "I think your endurance is improving."

Rex rolled his eyes at the playful jab. "Look who's talking," he retorted, settling in the space next to her. "You lasted, what, five minutes?" He had learned that her body was extremely sensitive and he loved it. The first time, he hadn't even reached her snatch. He had been focusing all of his attention on her gorgeous tits.

Damn, he had it bad.

She glared at him, panting as her chest rose and fell. "You're just jealous that you didn't hit this when we were kids," she responded, tugging the covers over her bare body.

He cringed. "We're two years apart," he reminded her. "I wouldn't have hit that even if I'd liked you." He honestly didn't know how Danica'd had the guts. Honestly, they had all been terrified of her parents, her father especially. How does one sleep with Batman's teenage daughter? No sane person would. So he supposed Danica fit.

Sophia rolled her eyes. "Like you could have." She allowed him to pull her into his arms. They laid in silence for a moment before she spoke again. "You know, you can just say it."

Rex glanced down at her curiously. "Say, what?" he asked, confused. What was there to say? The tension in the room was suddenly palpable and this time it wasn't sexual. He couldn't help but feel that this was the calm before the storm.

She sighed, turning away from him. "You're worried," she stated plainly. "Though, I have no idea if it's about my stalker or..." Her voice broke here. "Or what happened with Holland. Whatever's bothering you, you can just tell me. Neither of us should have to walk on eggshells."

He swallowed thickly, allowing her words to sink in. "I am worried," he admitted. "About both, obviously, but the thing with Holland had been on my mind lately." He hesitantly laid a hand on her hip. "Soph, it's okay if... if it's not okay."

Sophia turned, raising an incredulous eyebrow at him. "What?" She seemed unable to comprehend his point.

Rex sighed, taking her face in his hands. "You ignore things," he told her. Sometimes, the direct approach was best for her. "Things bother you and you brush them off. I've seen it."

She took this in. "Perhaps," she confessed tentatively. "But that's just how I've always dealt with things, okay? Some things tend to make me and other people upset. So why bring them up? If I ignore them-" She promptly cut herself off. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

He took a deep breath, trying to take the irritation off his face. "Sophia, that's not healthy," he almost snapped. He took a moment to reign in his patience; Sophia was still a bit young. He had to remind himself that he hadn't made the best decisions at twenty-three. In fact, his stupid choices hadn't stopped until last year and she had a lot more common sense than he had.

Sophia glared at him. "Why not?" she bit back. "I'm not hurting anyone."

Rex examined her face and found that she was completely serious. "Except yourself," he countered dryly. How could she not see that? Now he was really convinced that she needed to see a therapist.

Her nostrils flared. "I am perfectly fine," she insisted hotly. "How dare-!" She stopped for a moment, closing her eyes. She inhaled deeply through her nose. When she opened them again, a steel gray had replaced the sapphire blue he was used to.

He recoiled; the last time he had seen her eyes like that, her shirt was torn and she had bruises everywhere and- Stop. Breathe.

Rex eyed Sophia who was cursing under her breath in various languages and pulling an undamaged shirt over her head. She was okay. She was here with him. She hadn't been... He swallowed the bile trying to crawl its way up her throat.

Maybe he hadn't completely healed from that night either.

"Soph," he tried, quickly pulling on his own clothes. He swiftly followed after the young heiress who was stalking away from him. "Sophia, hang on a second."

Sophia stopped suddenly, whipping around to face him. "Rex, don't," she warned. Her eyes sparked with anger and he was taken back. He hadn't seen that spark since he was eighteen years old.

He had forgotten just how irritatingly stubborn Sophia was. She had never cared what anyone else thought, she was going to do things her way. She arrogantly assumed that she was the only one her actions affected. Why? Because she was spoiled and could do whatever she wanted.

The thought of young Sophia only served to make his blood boil.

Rex recovered quickly, crossing his arms. "You can't just bottle everything up," he insisted, ignoring her warning. "It's only gonna hurt you more." A small, distant part of him knew that he was going about this in the wrong way, but at the moment he didn't care. Why couldn't she just accept help? If she didn't reach out, she was going to fall off the cliff and into the deep end.

She stared him down, a thousand different emotions passing through her eyes. They finally settled on just one: rage. "I think I should leave," she decided. She turned on her heel and walked right out the door, slamming it on her way out.

He stared at the spot she had vacated before grunting and stomping back into his room. Fine. If she wanted to be stubborn and self-destruct, who was he to stop her? When it bit her in the ass, he just hoped she didn't lose herself.

OoOoOo

Sophia's rage burned in her stomach.

Sometimes, she was reminded of why she had hated Rex as a child. He was a haughty wiseass who lacked an understanding of human emotions. Why couldn't she just cope the way she wanted to? There was no point in upsetting herself and bringing down everyone's mood. Maybe she just didn't want to talk about it, did he ever think of that?

She swallowed as she leaned against a nearby building. She didn't want to talk about it. Talking about it would mean it really happened. She would have to acknowledge that she had been weak and defenseless and-

Tears welled in her eyes as her heart thumped painfully. She had called him that night because she had been scared and she trusted him. Perhaps that had been a mistake. Perhaps this whole thing had been a mistake.

Rex was uncharted territory, after all. Maybe she should have stuck to an area she was familiar with...

Unconsciously, Sophia reached into her pocket for her phone. She didn't need Rex. She had someone else in her corner. She was going to make him see- She had almost finished dialing Danica's number when she abruptly stopped herself.

What the fuck was she doing?

Shame burned her cheeks as she shoved her phone back into her pocket. She couldn't go crawling to Danica. For one, they hadn't spoken in weeks. For another, she couldn't hurt her or Rex like that. That wouldn't be fair to either of them. No matter how angry she was at Rex, she didn't want to hurt him. And she couldn't take advantage of Danica like that.

She shook her head at the reminder of what a self-centered bitch she had been. Whenever Danica had annoyed her in their teen years, she had shamelessly flirted with Jon and sometimes Mareena.

She never wanted to be that person again.

So Sophia slid down the wall until she hit the concrete beneath her. She stared up at the black, inky night sky before she instantaneously began to sob her heart out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Writing this hurt me. But it had to happen. I wish it could be fluff all the time but it can't. Anyway, I hope you liked it and please review!


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know it's been forever, okay? I've had writer's block. Anyway, please enjoy!

"Thanks for helping me move everything, Jay," huffed Sophia as she dropped the last box onto the floor. She wiped the smallest drop of swear off her brow, turning to face her older brother. She had finally moved into her apartment, though the building was owned by her father. Still, it was a step in the right direction. "Do you want anything? I don't have any food yet, but the faucet works..."

Jason grimaced. "No thanks, brat," he declined. "I got some business to take care of."

She pouted. "You know, I'm twenty-three years old," she reminded him. She didn't think she was much of a brat nowadays. At least, she tried not to be.

He shrugged at her. "Always have been, always will be," he retorted. He playfully punched her arm. "Later, kiddo."

Sophia waved. "Bye, Jay!" she called. She sighed, plopping down onto her brand new couch unceremoniously. She wasn't exhausted, per se, but it had been a long day.

With certain distractions currently out of her life, Sophia was able to focus on finding an apartment. She had declined all of them thus far, but she had finally settled on the perfect one. The building was in downtown Gotham, which wasn't very ideal for a billionaire heiress, but she felt it spoke to her.

She released a sad sigh; she hadn't spoken to Rex for a week. She was a bit put out by it, but she supposed they needed some time apart. Taking time to sort things out herself was proving to be quite useful. She could work with this.

That didn't stop her from missing him though.

Sophia rolled her eyes, taking out her phone. She may have missed Rex, but she wasn't going to mope around because of him. After all, she had a life outside of him. The young woman scrolled through her contacts, eyes scanning over the limited names. Danica, she knew, was still out of the question and she was not about to drink with her brothers.

She finally stopped on the Bs. "Bethany," she read aloud, pondering. Her secretary was meek and quiet; not her preferred drinking partner. Still, a quiet friend was better than no friend. Perhaps she would be able to bring the young woman out of her shell.

OoOoOo

"You did not!"

Sophia nearly double over with laughter. "I did," she choked out between giggles. She had just finished relaying the story of how she and Danica had gotten arrested for vandalism. "I don't think that my dad had ever been that mad at me. You should have seen his face when the commissioner brought me home." It had, in fact, been her father to catch her and her friend in the act. He had been Batman at the time and she hadn't been able to believe her rotten luck.

Bethany shook her head, her dirty blond curls bouncing. "I can't believe you got caught by Batman of all people," she stated in disbelief. "That must have sucked."

She nodded. "It did," she agreed. The lawyer couldn't help but grin at the young woman across from her. It was one of those moments when you learned to never judge a book by its cover. Bethany may have seemed timid and meek, but she was funny and witty and pleasant to be around.

The blond took another swig of from martini. "You know, I never thought that you would be the rebellious type," she admitted shyly. "It's just..."

Sophia smirked. "I graduated high school at sixteen, right?" she guessed. She wasn't stupid; she knew what people thought of her. She had been bookish and quiet in school and kept up the nerdy facade to the press. However, Sophia Wayne had a knack for getting into trouble and having too much fun. "Don't worry, most people think that."

Bethany cocked her head to the side in curiosity. "You have so much responsibility on your shoulders at such a young age," she remarked, her dark eyes staring at her intently. "Does it ever get to be too much?"

The young princess considered this for a moment. She knew that she had to be very careful in how she answered. She didn't think Bethany would ever go behind her back, but she couldn't be too sure. "Life is hard for everybody," she replied carefully. "I get by in life by working hard and keeping my head up. My age doesn't stop me from giving my all in everything."

The slightly older woman seemed to think about this. "You're very strong, Sophia," she finally commented. "I have to admire that."

Sophia forced herself to relax; she didn't think she was strong. A strong woman would have put an end to their stalker. A strong woman would have saved her own life without risking another's. "Thank you," she said, her lips curling into a smile. "I get it from my mother."

Because Diana Prince-Wayne was the strongest woman she'd ever known.

OoOoOo

Sophia returned home that night and found that she had a missed call from Rex.

Her heart pounded against her chest as she hesitated. She wanted to make up with him, of course she did. But she couldn't help but still feel upset with him. Perhaps she had overreacted that night, but she was an independent person. She had graduated high school at sixteen. She had gone to college in France on her own. She had acted as her own vigilante with no association with her parents for seven years.

It killed her to be under her parents' thumbs again. But she would be damned to be under anyone else's.

She shook her head, opening the voicemail he left. 'Uh, hey Sophia,' Rex's deep, raspy voice greeted awkwardly. She frowned when he used her real name. 'I, um, just wanted to call and check in. I know you're mad at me, but I want to talk. So, uh, let me know if you do too.' The message abruptly ended.

Sophia grimaced. She felt a bit guilty that Rex had reached out first. Had she been wrong in giving him space? Did he think she was being immature? Was she being immature? Hera, this was making her head hurt.

She made her way over to the fridge, grabbing a carton of juice. Her thoughts raced as she poured herself a cup, leaning against the counter. Relationships were harder than she remembered and she wasn't sure if she was prepared.

Sophia took a sip of the juice and instantly yawned afterward. She stumbled slightly into the living room, her eyelids drooping. It had been a long day, hadn't it? She was very tired. Subconsciously, she sprawled out onto the couch, her eyes closing completely.

It wasn't long until she was completely asleep.

OoOoOo

A hooded figure crept through the window in the dark of the night.

They were glad that the object of their affection had moved into her own apartment. Wayne Manor might as well have been a fortress; there was no getting in even with their resources. They never would have been able to slip their drink into the manor. Of course, their headstrong, independent kitten didn't want to stay under Mommy and Daddy's careful watch for long. They loved how stubborn she was.

The figure crept closer, their eyes landing on the slumbering form of the beautiful Sophia Wayne. They allowed their eyes to roam her perfect body, thankful that she wasn't wearing more than a tank top and a pair of panties.

This was going to be fun.

They climbed on top of her, careful not to put their weight on her and wake her up. Sophia suspected nothing, if her light snoring was any indication. They carefully bent down, pressing a gentle kiss to her parted lips. They trailed down from her mouth to her neck, where they attacked the sensitive skin there. Sophia moaned softly, causing their skin to prickle with delight.

Oh, how excited they were to have the princess at their fingertips. It had been torture, unable to touch her in the way they wanted. Attempting to break into Wayne Manor would have been a suicide mission and the blood of Reginald Stewart was not something they could shed lightly. Thank goodness for the Amazon's stubborn pride.

The figure moved lower, their head dipping down to her bust. Their eyes focused on the full, plump mounds, admiring their abundance. They pressed their lips to her left breast, their tongue circling it through the thin fabric of the shirt. Their hand found her other one, gently kneading the bosom.

Sophia began to twitch under them, whimpering with every touch and caress. If only Woman Woman's enemies knew; Amazons were extremely sensitive. They weren't sure what the case was with Sophia, but the Amazons were made that way as a punishment should they ever fall for a man again. They wouldn't be surprised if their princess was already wet.

They swiped a finger across her sweet, precious snatch. As they thought, she was soaked. The half breed must have been so proud of himself, unknowing that her body would react like that to anyone's touch.

They slipped their hand into her panties, gently stroking her entrance. "Moan for me, Sophia," they rasped quietly. They wanted to hear her, to revel in the sounds only they were able to produce. They wanted to bring her to her edge.

Sophia's hips moved against their fingers. "R-Rex," she groaned sensually.

They immediately recoiled, rage gripping their chest. How could she utter the half breed's name in their presence? Didn't she know that he was no good for her? Didn't she know that she belonged to them and them alone? Enraged, they yanked off her panties, leaving her bottom half completely exposed. "I should take you right here," they growled menacingly. "Hard."

But they refrained, taking out their phone instead. "But I'd rather see what the half breed hawk had to say, don't you?" They snapped the picture. "But mark my words, I will have my way with you soon enough, Sophia."

In an instant, they were gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> God, you don't know how uncomfortable I was writing that last scene. Please don't think I'm some sort of sicko, okay? And yes, I know this chapter was short but it needed to be. It looks like Sophia's stalker is becoming more bold, doesn't it? Anyway, I hope you liked it and please review!


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this was fast, but I was so inspire that I couldn't help myself. Anyway, please enjoy!

Rex's heart might as well have been in his throat as he furiously knocked on Sophia's door. His hands were practically shaking and he pleaded to whatever entity was out there for her to be alright. "Please," he begged under his breath. He couldn't lose her. He wouldn't lose her. "Please, please, please." Regret settled in his stomach as he recalled their fight. It seemed so pointless now that he had been reminded that she was in danger.

The door swung open and there stood Sophia in sweatpants and a T-shirt. "Rex?" she asked in confusion. "What are you- mph!"

He didn't wait for her to finish her sentence as he grabbed her by the waist, pressing his lips to hers. He held her close against his chest as he kissed her, relief washing over his heart. She was safe, she was here with him. She wasn't- He forced the thought out of his head.

Once they pulled away, Sophia stared at him with wide eyes. "Well, that was unexpected," she remarked but seemed breathless nonetheless. She looked at him, her intelligent eyes scanning over his body. "Are you... alright?"

Rex took a gentle hold of her face, pressing his forehead to hers. "I am now," he replied. "Are you alright?"

Sophia smiled, unsure. "Why wouldn't I be?" she responded coyly. "Worried about me?" His expression, however, remained serious and she frowned. "Did... something happened?" He didn't answer. "Rex!"

He glanced around her apartment, looking for any signs of a break-in. "Did you have anyone over last night?" he questioned. "Maybe Danica?" Because that girl was so spiteful that she would pull this shit. If he ever found out that she was behind this, he wouldn't stop himself from retaliating this time. He didn't care if she was a woman; this was crossing a line.

She gave him a bewildered look. "No," she answered, shaking her head. "No, I went out for drinks with my secretary and then came home and knocked out." She placed a gentle hand on her cheek. "Why? What's wrong?"

Rex pressed his lips together in refusal. He couldn't tell her; she would freak out. Besides, they were supposed to be mad at each other. Would she still think he was trying to control her? His heart pounded against his chest and he suddenly found it hard to breathe. The thought of someone being in here without Sophia's knowledge...

He couldn't bear it.

"Rex!" shouted Sophia, grabbing his face. "Hey, look at me." He did, focusing on her pretty face. He had never noticed the small scar above her lip. Had she always had that? When had she gotten it? "Honey, you need to calm down, okay? Follow my voice." He could do that, he liked her voice. It was a bit deep and hoarse, but he found it sexy.

Reality seemed to settle in as she sat him down on the couch. Rex leaned into her hand, reveling in its soft touch. His heart settled in his chest and his hands stopped shaking. The man blinked as everything came back into focus.

Sophia gave him a dazzling smile, looking visibly relieved. "There we go," she said, gently kissing his nose. "Do you feel okay?"

He nodded numbly. "Yeah... Yeah, I'm good." Embarrassment burned his cheeks. She must have thought he was a weirdo! Why did he have to freak out like that? "S-Sorry."

She shook her head. "It's alright," she assured him. "You were having a panic attack. Happens to everyone once in a while." She eased his head into the crook of her neck. "Now, are you gonna tell me what happened?"

Rex bit his lip. "You'll freak," he insisted. He didn't want to worry her, she had just moved in after all. But wouldn't he be doing a bigger disservice by keeping it from her? Didn't she deserve to know? "I-"

"Please?" Sophia interrupted, her bottom lip jutted out in a pout.

He groaned. "Soph-"

Her lip began to tremble and her eyes were big and sad. "Please?"

Well, how could he say no to that face? Rex sighed, wishing that the couch would swallow him up. "Fine," he agreed reluctantly. "Just brace yourself okay?" He whipped the crumpled piece of paper out of his pocket before shoving it toward her.

Sophia raised an eyebrow at him before unfolding the paper. He watched her, waiting for her reaction. Her mouth parted in shock as she took in the contents of the picture. '3... 2... 1...' "What the fuck!" shouted Sophia, jumping up from the couch. Her expression twisted into disgust as she threw the picture onto the ground.

Rex closed his eyes. "It was in my mailbox this morning," he informed her quietly. He picked up the picture, risking a quick glance at it. Sophia was completely exposed, her panties gone and her shirt up, revealing her bare breasts.

She glared at the couch before moving to sit on the love seat. Her angry blue eyes softened into concern and fear. "They... they were in my house," she uttered. He almost hadn't heard her. "They w-were here. Touching me. I..." Her arms moved around her midsection. "I was wet this morning, Rex. I thought I was just touching myself in my sleep or something, but..."

His stomach churned uncomfortably as he moved to sit next to her. He made sure to keep a good distance from her as he plopped down. "I'm sorry," he said quietly. Though, he wasn't sure how much that helped. What could he say? What did you say to a woman who had just been invaded and violated in her own home? "I didn't wanna tell you, but..."

Sophia tightly closed her eyes and he could tell that she was forcing herself not to cry. "Y-You were right," she admitted. "I'm weak and foolish and-"

Rex stared at her, bemused. "I never said that!" he exclaimed. It came out louder than he meant it to.

She shrugged flippantly at him. "No, but you should have." She stood up, shuffling toward the window. "I act like I'm so strong and independent, but I'll never stop relying on people." She sniffed, wiping her nose. "I broke up with Danica and every relationship after was a disaster." He tried not to be hurt by that. "I moved away from my parents and I made a mess they had to clean up. I become the boss of my father's firm and I get assaulted in my own office."

Sophia turned steely eyes to him and he was immediately reminded of that night. "I move into my own apartment and I'm assaulted again. Who the fuck gets assaulted twice in less than a month?" Her lips morphed into an angry scowl. "It's going to stay the same, isn't it? I'm always going to be the fool who needs other people to clean her messes!" She stomped on the ground with such force that he had to hold onto the couch.

Immediately after, she sunk onto the ground and began to sob.

Rex felt his heart break at the sound. He knelt next to her, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "You aren't weak," he assured her. "And you aren't foolish. I'm so sorry that I made you think that you were."

She shoved his hand away, turning angry, tearful eyes onto him. "Don't you dare apologize!" she snapped. "I'm the one who messed up! I always mess up! And I'm not letting you clean up my messes too! I'll deal with this by myself!" She attempted to get up, but he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her back down. "Let go of me!"

He held onto her as tightly as he could, fighting back his own tears. He glared down at her, angry at her, himself, and the whole fucking world at that moment. "You listen to me right now, Sophia Martha Wayne," he growled. "If you think I'm going to let you deal with a fucking stalker on your own, you are sorely mistaken."

He had her full attention now, her eyes wide with shock. Good. For once, she was going to listen to him.

Rex held her chin, forcing her to look at him. "First of all, I already told you that we would deal with this together and you agreed," he glowered. "Are you going back on your word?"

She looked aghast. "What? No!"

"Then don't even think about shutting me out," he hissed. "I said that I was going to help you and I fucking meant it. Secondly, there's nothing wrong with relying on the people around you. That's what we're here for. Your parents love you and they'll do anything for you. Our parents are here for us to count on them."

"But-"

"I wasn't finished," Rex snapped harshly. She shut her mouth. He never talked to her like this, but she was being insufferable and irrational and stupid. She needed to hear this. "Thirdly, what happened with Holland and last night was NOT your fault."

Sophia glared at him. "Yes it was!" she insisted. "I knew Holland was a creep and I did nothing about it. I allowed him to weaken me, to violate me in my own office! And yesterday, I refused to let my father install a security system. I knew I had a stalker, but I was being stubborn and prideful and I basically invited the bastard in!"

He lightly pinched her side.

"Ow!" she yelped dramatically, her glare growing more intense. "What the fuck? Why did you pinch me?"

Rex glared right back. "If some chick grabs my cock, did I cheat on you?" he countered.

Sophia looked at him like he was crazy. "Of course not!" she answered, bemused. "She assaulted you! I would punch that bitch out. You can't control what she-" Realization settled in her face. "Oh."

He rolled his eyes. "Oh," he mocked. The fight seemed to leave her as she relaxed into him. He sighed, shaking his head as he played with her hair. "What am I going to do with you, Princess?"

She gave him a bashful yet seductive grin. "Ravish me?" she guessed. She giggled at his exasperated expression as she wiped her eyes. "Wow, I got really emotional, didn't I?"

Rex gave her a fake sympathetic look. "Is it that time of the month?" he teased.

This time, Sophia pinched him. "Not funny, asshole," she retorted. "And you better not let my mother hear that joke." She was quiet for a moment as she drew circles on his chest. "I am sorry, though."

He continued to play with her hair, running his fingers through it. God, he had missed this. "About what?"

She sniffed. "I didn't think about how that night affected you," she admitted, catching him by surprise. "I... I had bruises and my shirt was torn open and-"

Rex winced at the reminder. "Let's not talk about the state you were in," he requested. He would listen to her fears or feelings or whatever else, but he couldn't think about how he had found her. It was painful.

"Okay," agreed Sophia immediately. "My point is, you were just as scared as I was. You wanted me to talk about it because you wanted to make sure I was alright. I should have seen that and I'm so sorry that I didn't."

She wasn't too far off, he realized. Was that why he had been so insistent that she talk to him about it? Had he pushed her for his own benefit? "I'm sorry that I pushed you," he amended. "I never want to hurt your feelings or make you think less of yourself. I care about you too much for that. I l-" He cut himself off. Were they ready for that? Maybe. But he felt as though now wasn't the best time to say it. "I, um-"

She cut him off with a gentle kiss to his lips. "We don't have to go there," she assured him. "Another time, maybe. Okay?"

Rex could get behind that. "Okay," he agreed. He rested his chin on top of her head. "Do you need anything else?"

Sophia smiled. "Just you," she answered. "Well, you, my red lingerie, and my queen-sized-" He was scooping her into the air and carrying her off to her bedroom before she could finish her sentence.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I like to call this chapter, "Rex and Sophia Being Each Other's Therapists for 2,000 words." I love this chapter so much. Last chapter was very much forced, if you couldn't tell. And yes, I'm just as happy as you that they made up. And yes, Rex almost told her he loved her. I was gonna stick that in, but then I figured, one thing at a time, you know? Perhaps in a few chapters, I'll let them say it. Also, Rex was completely justified in his rant, in case you were wondering.
> 
> Anyway, I hope you liked it and please review!


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's another update! Please enjoy!

"Remind me to pick a fight with you more often," huffed Sophia, her chest heaving as she caught her breath. Her crotch throbbed with satisfaction as her eyes fluttered slightly. Hera, she felt so good. "Make-up sex with you is fucking amazing." It had definitely beat their first time together. It was as though sex with Rex got better each time they did it. Or perhaps it was just from the week of having no contact with one another.

Rex, who was also breathing heavily, chuckled at her. "I think you were just sexually frustrated," he remarked playfully. He easily evaded her swatting hand.

She huffed again, this time with annoyance. "One more comment about my sexual urges and I'll permanently ban you from my bed," she threatened. Of course, they both knew this was a promise she couldn't keep. There were days where she would literally jump him.

Sophia sighed in bliss, leaning into his warm, accommodating arms. She had missed him even more than she'd thought. Even though she wouldn't allow herself to mope or recede into herself, their argument had weighed heavily on her mind. She just couldn't understand what she had done wrong.

She had been on her own for so long that it hadn't occurred to her how her actions affected people. And it wasn't as if there had been a lot of talking in her last relationship (just yelling). It had startled her, how concerned Rex had been. It had been a long time since someone had been so invested in her life. She hadn't- and still didn't- know how to deal with it.

But she knew that if she wanted this relationship to work, she would have to be more open. So, Sophia peered up at him. "I missed you," she admitted. She closed her eyes, hoping that this show of weakness wouldn't be exploited.

Rex pressed a kiss to her forehead. "I missed you too," he returned. He cupped one of her cheeks, his thumb caressing the soft flesh. Pain flashed through his eyes for a moment before it was gone. "When I got that picture, I was so afraid. It was like I was being punished for leaving you or something."

Sophia regarded him hesitantly. "Rex, love, you don't blame yourself, do you?" she questioned, furrowing her eyebrows with worry. She was confident that it would have happened either way. As much as she hated it, Rex couldn't be with her all the time. They both had work, for one, and they weren't the kind of couple that spent every second together.

His Kelly green eyes lowered. "I let you walk out," he reminded her. Shame marred his face and she felt a pang in her chest.

Gently, she lifted his chin up. "You didn't let me do anything," she retorted softly. "I left because I was angry and I didn't want you to see it." Her father had raised her to be calm and collected at all times. Sometimes she was and sometimes she wasn't, but she never lost her temper. She usually ended up crying her frustration instead of physically lashing out.

The corners of his mouth twitched, but sadness still darkened his face. "Gotta watch that Amazon temper, huh?" he teased.

Sophia stuck out her tongue. "Like Thanagarians are any better," she shot back. Their childhood had more than proved that. Rex wasn't dangerously angry per se, but he was easily irritated. That had definitely stuck with him. In those moments, he always reminded her of his mother. Even now, bits of Aunt Shayera seemed to peek through.

She lightly punched his shoulder. "Point is, dear, that it wasn't your fault. Just like you said it wasn't mine."

Rex cocked an eyebrow at her. "Dear?" he echoed. The negative energy seemed to have vanished from his expression. "My god, you are a nerd."

The young woman frowned, flicking his forehead. "Not nice," she scolded. Like he was one to talk. She may have graduated at sixteen, but he was the IT guy. She sighed, burying her face into his chest. "But you know what?"

"What?"

Sophia peered up at him, smirking. "You should use that tone more," she suggested coyly. "It's a major turn-on." A part of her had been enraged that he would dare speak to her that way, but a bigger part had been pleasantly surprised. And aroused.

Rex rolled his eyes. "You are such a sub," he told her.

She scowled at him. "I'm sorry, did you want me to break you?" she asked sweetly. Although, Sophia had always known this about herself. She did it on purpose for the most part since she was so strong. However, there was a small fraction of her that reveled in being ravished.

He grinned at her, running a hand up and down her side. "Is that a challenge, Miss Wayne?" he baited.

Sophia might as well have jumped him.

OoOoOo

They had never been closer.

It seemed as though their fight had strengthened their bond. The two of them spent nearly everyday together: talking, going out, watching good and bad movies. Sophia had even opened up to Rex about that night much to his relief. He, of course, had worried that their time together overwhelmed him, but she shot that down. She felt safe with him. She trusted him.

Currently, they were curled up on her couch watching Mamma Mia. "This movie's so stupid," deadpanned Rex. Honestly, how had she convinced him to watch it with her?

Sophia shrugged. "The second one's better," she agreed. "But you have to admit that the first one has charm to it." She chuckled, a memory coming to her. "Mom and I used to watch this movie all the time."

Rex raised an eyebrow. "Why?" He couldn't see his godmother enjoying a romantic comedy. Nor could he see her sitting through a musical.

She grinned. "Well, it takes place in Greece," she reminded him. "And they included the people who actually live on Skopelos. That's two points." She smiled at the scene where Donna, the main character, helps Sophie, her daughter, get ready for her wedding. "Besides, she likes this part."

This scene, in particular, made her fall in love with the movie as well.

Rex couldn't see the appeal, but who understood the bond between a mother and daughter? Certainly not him. "We're not watching the sequel," he told her adamantly. He had already say through this torture for nearly two hours. If he heard the words 'Dancing Queen' again...

Sophia snorted. "Fine," she relented, her lips curling into a knowing smirk. "But we're watching Frozen II next."

He gave her a look of horror. "You're a monster," he decided. "Must you subject me to such torture?"

She laughed, giving him a kiss on the cheek. "I happen to love that movie," she told him. Seeing it in theaters had made her cry, not that she would ever tell him that. "Besides, you haven't even seen it."

Rex huffed, leaning back into the couch. He didn't have anything against the first movie, but there was only so much femininity a man could take in one night. "I'm just glad tomorrow's my night to choose," he declared. "You owe me for this, Princess."

Sophia raised an eyebrow, a mischievous grin on her lips. "I think I know just how to pay you back," she purred, positioning herself onto his lap. She kissed him deeply, straddling his hips with her own. He responded almost immediately, his hands on her rear and his lips caressing hers. He groaned, pulling her closer to him as he broke the kiss, lips trailing down her jaw. Then her neck. Then...

She gasped as Rex hovered below her covered right breast. Groaning in frustration, Sophia flung the shirt over her head, discarding it onto the floor. He chuckled at her eagerness, but his eyes focused on her bra. They seemed to darken with not just lust, but affection too. She was momentarily lost in his Kelly orbs.

Rex carefully unclasped her bra, exposing her full breasts and pretty brown nipples. He swallowed thickly, his eyes flicking up to hers. But she seemed to be in a trance, her eyes boring into his soul.

"Soph," he rasped, suddenly overcome with the desire he had for this woman. He had no idea why he felt such a connection with her- especially given their rough past- but he did. It was almost as though they fit perfectly together. Opposites in every way, but also so similar that they just... connected.

Sophia came out of her trance, peering down at him with a range of emotions. Then, she smiled brilliantly at him. "Rex," she returned. She leaned down, pressing her forehead to his. They were so close that he could feel the brush of her long eyelashes against his cheeks.

They both took a deep breath, reveling in their closeness.

Neither of them would ever be able to explain what happened in that moment. But for now, they just enjoyed it. They enjoyed being in one another's company and the affection that swelled in their hearts for one another.

OoOoOo

They growled with frustration.

They violently shoved everything off their desk, their computer included. Seething to themselves, they plopped down in the chair behind them, their anger simmering just below the surface of their skin. It just wasn't fair! What did she see in that half-breed Hawk?! It wasn't as though he was rich or handsome; he hadn't even been nice to her for the majority of her life!

Their fists curled at their sides. Why couldn't that Hawk just take a hint? They had been sure that those photos would send him running, but his loyalty knew no bounds. It was as though he and Sophia were being drawn to each other. Almost as though the two of them were-

No. Their eyes widened as they abruptly stood from their chair, knocking it to the ground. That couldn't be it! Could it? There was no way! It was rare and the bastard was only half Thanagarian!

They scowled, suddenly wishing that they had spared the computer. If this was what they thought this was, then separating their beloved princess from Stewart would be difficult. Difficult, yes, but not impossible.

They grinned to themselves, eyeing the many pictures of Sophia Wayne on their wall. There were many of the young woman, some of them as old as her time in France. Their favorite, however, would always be the most recent. The one of her sprawled out on her couch, her shirt exposing her breasts and her panties nowhere to be seen.

How they ached to feel her soft skin once more. How they yearned for her to moan and call out their name as they explored her body. They groaned, the heat of arousal settling in their core as they thought about how wet and tight she would be when they finally-

They caressed the picture of the sleeping woman. "Soon, Kitten," they promised. "Soon."

OoOoOo

Shayera had been feeling it for a few months now.

At first, she had thought nothing of it. They were just a few pulses in her head from time-to-time. She simply thought they were only headaches. She had assumed that they would go away. And yet, they persisted. She had tried everything; meditation, pain killers, talking to J'onn, but nothing had worked. Hell, not even sex had quelled the pain!

They weren't too much trouble, just minor annoyances. They were irritating, yes, but she could deal with them.

But today, the pulse was so strong that she actually stumbled. John, who was standing near, quickly caught her. "Are you okay?" he asked quickly. His dark eyes observed her and she knew that she needed to tell someone.

Especially because Shayera knew what this meant. She cursed herself for not seeing the signs before. "I'm fine," she said hurriedly, untangling herself from his arms. She couldn't waste any time. "I need to make a phone call." She practically flew away from him and the up the stairs.

Once she was in their shared room, the redheaded woman closed the door behind her. Pulling out her cell phone, she quickly dialed the number. "Hey, Di? It's me. We might have a problem."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, does anyone have a guess for what's going on? Correct answers earn cookies (::)(::) Anyway, I hope you liked it and please review!


	21. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For you all! Enjoy!

"I think we're in trouble."

Sophia looked up from her paperwork to Rex's captivating Kelly eyes. "Why do you say that?" she questioned, her voice hoarser than she would have liked. She hated that he had such an effect on her. She had always found Rex quite plan compared to the other boys vying for her attention, but holy shit had she been wrong. His strong jaw, his tones muscles, his smoldering green eyes. He was sexy and in a completely unexpected way. Her attraction to him was visible, she was sure.

Dammit, what was this man doing to her?

Rex smirked for half of a second. "My mom called today," he revealed. He approached her casually, standing next to her. "She wants to talk to us."

She glared up at him. "Stay away from me, Reginald Stewart," she ordered firmly. She was at work, after all.

He tilted his head in confusion, but his grin gave him away. "Why?" he asked innocently. "I'm not doing anything." Yet, as he said this, he brushed his hand across the back of her neck.

Sophia shivered. "Rex," she whined. Dammit, she actually wanted to get something done for once. But she knew she couldn't resist him. He had an effect on her like no other. "I'm working."

Rex hummed, dipping his head down to her collarbone. "And I'm bored," he countered, kissing the sensitive skin. "Besides, I think you need a break."

She unwittingly moaned, leaning into him. She bit her lip as he reached into her blouse, cupping her breast. "Fuck," she hissed as his thumb circled her nipple. She tilted her head back as he kissed down her throat. Sometimes, it felt as though he knew just what spots to focus on. Like he knew what would throw her into a sex-crazed frenzy.

"Do you want me to stop?" he murmured against the hollow of her neck.

Sophia's eyes flicked down to his face, gasping at the raw desire she saw in his eyes. Sometimes, it boggled her how someone could want her so much and could communicate so with a simple look. "Fuck no," she snapped, grabbing him by his shirt. She pulled him forward so that his lips touched hers. He replied in kind, tugging her closer by her waist. He groaned, deepening the kiss as she-

There was a knock at the door. "Miss Wayne?" came Bethany's innocent voice. "I have some papers that need your signature..."

They both froze, the kiss broken. Sophia was the first to recover. "Hide!" she hissed.

Rex was frantic. "Where?" he demanded quietly. She almost laughed at how scared he looked. She knew that he was a private person and didn't want their relationship for others to see. He had explained to her that he liked having her to himself and enjoyed their time alone together. She would be lying if she said she didn't find it sweet.

She gestured to her desk. "Under here!" she answered.

He gave her a blank look. "Seriously?"

She glared at him. "Reginald Stewart!" she threatened.

Rex glared back before doing as she said. He ducked under the desk where he barely fit. Sophia quickly tucked in her chair and fixed herself before folding her hands on her desk. "Come in," she called sweetly. Though, she was sure that her cheeks were beet red. Damn Rex for getting her flustered.

Bethany, the sweetheart, shuffled in, her blond hair in a bun and her glasses resting on her nose. "These are from your father's board," she announced. "They require your signature for the Delta Project."

Sophia nodded; the Delta Project was to move Wayne companies to other locations. Her father had discussed as much with her. "Of course, Beth," she replied, reaching to take the papers. Her hand tensed, however, when she felt something brush against her panties. Her breath hitched as the touch became probing, pressing down on her clit.

Bethany tilted her head in obvious confusion. "Miss Wayne, are you alright?" she asked with concern.

She swallowed thickly. "Of course," she replied, taking the papers. Her hand trembled as she reached for a pen, her panties now around her ankles. Despite his many times seeing it, Sophia couldn't help the pounding in her chest as she knew that Rex was eye-level with her womanhood. She closed her eyes for a moment as his thumbs caressed her inner thighs.

Sophia bit her lip, moving to scrawl her pen against the first page. She jumped when she felt his lips connect with her core, earning an odd look from the blond in front of her. She ignored it, moving onto the next page. Rex, of course, wasn't about to let up as his tongue slipped into her entrance. She swallowed the rising moan, quickly signing and flipping to the next page.

She lurched forward with sudden movement, Rex's hands on her hips and pulling her closer to his mouth as his tongue caressed her clit. She unwittingly bucked her hips forward, finding the paper in front of her hard to focus on. His tongue began to move at a faster pace, making it hard for her not to cry out. She held off on her release, determined not to reach with her secretary literally a foot away. She was going to kill him.

Sophia pressed her lips together, quickly signing the last page. She resisted the urge to just give in. Fucking why was Rex so good with his tongue? "Here you go, hon!" she exclaimed a little too excitedly, thrusting the contract into her secretary's hands. "Thank you!"

Bethany nodded. "Of course Miss Wayne," she said hurriedly. She scampered out before Sophia could say more.

As soon as she was gone, Sophia came with a loud, sensual cry, her hips thrusting forward. "Fuck," she moaned, her eyes fluttering close. "Fuck, fuck, fuck." She gathered her senses, glaring at the culprit of her sensations. Her chest heaved as she gasped for air. "May I ask... why you felt the need?"

Rex smirked up at her, pressing a gentle kiss to her lips. "You've been stressed," he observed, tucking a stray piece of hair behind her ear. "Just wanted you to relax, Princess."

Sophia huffed, her nether lips still clenching at nothing. "Asshole," she muttered. Though, she couldn't find it within herself to be too upset with him. Not after he made her feel like that. She straightened out her skirt, standing up. "It's just about closing time, anyway. You ready for a late-night trip to Detroit?"

He grinned, taking her hand and kissing the back of it. "With you? Any time."

She couldn't ignore the flutter in her stomach at his actions.

OoOoOo

Though Rex didn't show it, he was anxious.

It wasn't often that his mother insisted that he go there for a talk. Seriously, his parents lived in Detroit. He lived in New Hale. That was over six hundred miles by car which was why he and Sophia had to use the Zeta Beams. Speaking of which, "Soph, do you want me to ask Uncle J'onn?" he questioned, not even trying to hide his amusement.

Sophia glared at him. "I know it's over here somewhere," she snapped. "Besides, Uncle J'onn won't answer our call if we're not League members."

He hummed. "Take your time, sweetheart," he replied, swiftly dodging her swiping hand. "I'll be over here." He was left with his thoughts as his mind swirled. What could his mother want? He hoped everything was alright. This visit was really random.

"Found it!" announced Sophia, beaming at him. Instantly, he felt a little lighter. "C'mon, I wanna see my aunt and uncle."

Rex grimaced. "If you call my parents aunt and uncle and I call your parents aunt and uncle, does that make us cousins?" he asked, attempting to hide his anxiety. He did that often, bothering her with strange questions to divert her attention. Usually, it worked.

She turned up her nose. "Absolutely not," she decided. She fixed him with a hard stare. "Are you... alright?"

Dammit. He cleared his throat, giving her a smile. "Of course," he brushed off. "Just tired. It's been a long day without my mother making us go halfway across the country." Damn her and her perceptiveness. She was too smart for her own good.

Sophia pressed her lips together before gently lacing her fingers with his own. "Whatever Aunt Shay wants, we'll be fine," she assured him and damn how did she know? "I'm sure it's nothing."

Rex nodded. "Of course," he agreed. Though, he couldn't help the uneasy feeling in his stomach.

She ushered him into the phone booth. "Come on," she urged. She pulled him in, closing the door behind her. He smirked, noticing how close their bodies were pressed together. She noticed and glared at him. "After what you pulled today, you're lucky if I let you touch me for another week."

She wouldn't survive the next day. "I totally believe you."

Sophia elbowed him. "Shut up." They both stilled as the machine scanned them. 'Recognized: Liberator-B04, Warhawk-B02.' The Zeta Beam opened and they walked through it.

OoOoOo

They casually appeared outside of his parents' house in Detroit. Sophia smoothed out her skirt, then adjusted her hair which he found odd. Was she nervous? It was just his parents. They adored her, they had doted over her since before she could talk. Rex nudged her hand out of her hair. "Stop stressing," he ordered gently, taking the dark strands out of the restricting bun. Sophia pursed her lips but didn't make an effort to re-tie her hair.

Instead, she delicately knocked on the door which quickly swung open. Instantly, she was attacked by a flash of red. "Sophia, dear!" exclaimed his mother, clutching his girlfriend to her. He was relieved when Sophia fiercely returned the hug; his mother could be a lot.

Sophia was the first to pull away, beaming. "Hi, Aunt Shay," she greeted softly. There was an emotion on her eyes he couldn't identify.

His mother moved onto him next. "Would you look at that?" she teased, her green orbs glinting with mischief. "My son! I haven't seen you here in about eight months. How have you been?"

Rex gave her a blank look. You would think that the greetings would be reversed. "Mom," he greeted curtly.

Shayera rolled her eyes. "Well, don't just stand there, you two, come in!" she urged, moving out of the way.

Rex looped an arm around his girlfriend's waist and quickly ushered her inside. "Mom, what did you want to talk about?" he asked as he plopped them down onto the couch. He narrowed his eyes, knowing that whatever it was, it was serious.

Shayera sighed, sitting opposite of them. "You never were one for subtlety," she observed. "Of course, your father will say that's my fault." And it was probably true. He did think that he took after his mother a lot. "Let me start with this, have the two of you ever felt a pull between you?"

Sophia tensed and he instantly rubbed his hand up and down her side in an attempt to comfort her. "What... what do you mean a pull?" she questioned, her voice suddenly hoarse.

His mother's lips formed a thin line. "From what I remember, the two of you couldn't stand each other," she recalled, steering the conversation. "But looking at you now, that seems to have changed. Why?"

His girlfriend grew rigid and Rex felt himself get defensive. "We grew up, Mom," he snapped, feeling particularly protective of the woman next to him. Of course, he was always protective, but it was strange since he didn't have a reason to be. It was just his mother. "We were just stupid kids back then. We're adults now."

Shayera raised an eyebrow. "Were you a kid at her Sweet Sixteen?" she questioned sharply.

Both he and Sophia flinched at the reminder. He remembered that night, probably the worst he'd ever treated her. Their worst fight to date, including the last one. It had been over something stupid- something he couldn't even remember- but had turned into a screaming match between them. Jon and Mareena had had to intervene, it got so bad (Danica, of course, had been ready to pounce on him).

"Mom, stop," warned Rex, not even having to look at Sophia to know she was upset. "What are you trying to get at?

His mother inhaled deeply. "Didn't you find it weird?" she asked them. "How you just stopped hating each other? It took Diana and I a trip to hell to resolve our differences and we had been friends. You both hated each other's guts and suddenly you can't keep your hands off one another? Suddenly you have these feelings that are completely different from your old ones?"

Sophia was trembling at this point. "What are you trying to tell us?" she inquired softly, no power in her voice. Suddenly, he just wanted to pick her up and leave and protect her from whatever this was.

Somehow, Shayera looked into both their faces. "I think the two of you are bonded," she revealed.

It took some time for the words to register in Rex's head. "What the hell does that mean?" he demanded hotly, his temper rising. He had a feeling that he wasn't going to like this. He cooled slightly at the feeling of Sophia's hand on his shoulder.

His mother swallowed thickly. "As you know, Rex, when two Thanagarians in true love wed, they are bonded," she began. "Mates for life. Nothing can separate them, save for death."

He nodded, recalling his mother's lessons on their culture. "Yeah," he replied. "I knew that. But what does that have to do with us?" 1) He was only half Thanagarian, 2) Sophia was no Thanagarian, and 3) they weren't married.

"There are some rare cases, however," the redheaded woman continued. "Where two Thanagarians just instantly click once they are both of age. This is because their primal instincts have deemed them perfectly compatible in every way. They are, in a way, destined for each other."

Rex felt his heart pound against his chest. Oh god, his mother couldn't be saying what he thought she was saying. He risked a glance at the woman next to her and noticed that she was considerably pale.

Shayera reached for both of their hands. "I think that the two of you are experiencing this bond," she told them softly. "This is why you don't have any animosity between you. This is why you've been feeling the pull."

He snatched his hand away. "That's ridiculous," he insisted. "We aren't bonded, we just like each other!" How could his mother even suggest it? God, sometimes he hated being even half Thanagarian because there was always a complication. It was never just a normal thing. There was always something he had to live with.

He already had to live with the fact that his mother had been a traitor for the rest of his life. Couldn't she just leave him alone?

"Why did this bond only start now?" asked Sophia and he was thankful. It was better to let her talk right now than him.

His mother shrugged. "You haven't seen each other for seven years," she reminded them. "By the time you came back, you were of age. Though, I wonder..." She trailed off, apparently lost in thought.

Rex's head snapped to her. "What?" he glowered.

Shayera sighed. "You broke up with Mareena two years ago, right?" she recalled and he tensed with the question. "That's around the time Sophia turned twenty-one. I feel as though that might have been the bond telling you that she wasn't right for you."

God, this was too much. The room spun for a second before his eyes refocused. He stole a glance at Sophia who looked like she was about to be sick. And honestly? He wasn't too far behind her. God, how was she taking all of this? His instincts had just decided for them. Neither of them had been given a choice.

"So you're telling me that these feelings aren't real?" snapped Rex. He was angry and he was confused and God, he just wanted to run away. "That we're being forced together?"

His mother bit her lip. "Not necessarily-"

Rex jumped to his feet, turning onto his heel. "I'm done here," he spat, heading toward the door. He had to get out of here. He couldn't stand to look at her any longer/

He didn't have to look to know that Sophia's bottom lip was trembling. "Rex," she whispered and damn it all he just had to look at her big, pleading sad eyes. "P-Please don't leave." She stood up, slowly approaching him. "W-We can figure this out, can't we? We always do. I l-"

He covered his ears. "No," he hissed. "Don't say it." He couldn't hear those words right now.

Pain flashed in her blue orbs and he hated himself. He swore, he hated himself. "Rex," she pleaded.

Everything inside him was screaming at him to apologize, to take her in his arms. Every muscle was hellbent on kissing away her forming tears and showing her how much he returned her sentiments, how much she meant to him. But Rex resisted, forcing himself to turn around. "I'll call you later, Soph," he said coldly before making his way to the Zeta Beams.

As it scanned him, he risked one last glance back and saw how Sophia had all but collapsed in his mother's arms. She was sobbing, he could hear it. 'Go back,' he hissed at himself. 'She wants you there. Go back.' He nearly did.

'Recognized: Warhawk-B02'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uh-oh. Looks like Rex doesn't react well to plans by fate! Remind y'all of someone? Anyway, I hope you liked it and please review!


	22. Chapter 22

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I just updated, but I had to get this out. Please enjoy!

It was his father that found him hours later.

Between his parents, his father had always been calmer with him. Rather, he was more afraid of his father so he never had to raise his voice. He was the no-nonsense parent, the one you knew not to cross. He had always been careful in front of his father because he knew what would happen if he didn't. His father had never even needed to hit him because his tone alone frightened him into behaving.

Kind of like right now.

"The hell is wrong with you?" spat John, his dark eyes glaring into his soul. "I know damn-well I raised you better than this."

Rex tried not to flinch under the scrutiny but glared right back. He wasn't a boy anymore. "Wouldn't you have been mad?" he demanded. "Everything I have with Sophia is fake."

His father raised an eyebrow. "And that gave you permission to shout at your mother?" he retorted coldly. He couldn't remember a time that his father had ever spoken to him like that. "That gave you permission to leave Sophia in literal tears?"

Guilt bubbled in his stomach. He hadn't meant to hurt Sophia and it killed him that he had. But was that how he really felt or was it the goddamn bond? It was like he had to look at everything differently now. "What do you want from me, Dad?" he snapped. He did feel bad for lashing out at his mother, but he'd had so many problems growing up because of his blood.

Normal puberty was hard enough, but no one else had to go through Thanagarian puberty. His skin had flared up like he was molting due to his lack of wings. It had been disgusting. Not to mention that it'd been near impossible to be around girls. His urges had gotten so bad that he'd had to lock himself in his room and deal with the pain.

Not to mention the taunts from Danica about his mother being a traitor. Sophia had never gone there because she adored his mother, but Danica had no qualms. It was part of the reason he hadn't joined the Justice League yet.

Could he be blamed for being just a little frustrated?

John grabbed him by his collar. "I want you to go home and apologize to your mother," he replied harshly. "Then you're going to make things right with Sophia." His grip loosened as his face softened slightly. "I know this is hard to understand and I know it 's overwhelming but Sophia is just as scared as you. Talk to her instead of running away from her."

Rex swallowed, knowing that his father was right. It hadn't been fair of him to leave the way he had. He wasn't the only one in this relationship. "Okay," he agreed.

His father smiled at him, kissing the top of his head. Any other time, he would have grimaced but today he just accepted it. It didn't come often. "Come on, son," he urged, leading him to the Zeta Beam.

OoOoOo

It was around one in the morning when they got back to Detroit. The house was dark save for the kitchen light being on. His mother was sitting at the table, her eyes trained on the ceiling. Rex winced; he had never seen that look of contemplation on her face. If she was like this, what state was Sophia in? "Mom?" he called hesitantly.

She tensed, but relaxed when she saw it was only them. "Oh, you're back," she observed. But her eyes soon narrowed. "Are you done with your fit?"

He flushed in embarrassment. "I'm sorry," he muttered. It had been unfair of him to lash out like that, he knew. But his anxiety had a habit of coming out in the worst ways.

Shayera shrugged. "I'm not the one you need to apologize to," she responded flippantly. He knew she wasn't too hurt if hurt at all; they'd had many harsh arguments over the years. Mostly because they were both stubborn, argumentative people.

Rex sighed. "Where is she?" he asked.

"Your room," his mother answered. "Though, she's probably asleep by now." She shook her head. "If she's not, I advise you to apologize if you don't want to lose her."

His heart began to race with unexpected fear at that. Lose Sophia? Could he even consider it? If they really were bonded, could he lose her? "Thanks," he said hurriedly, all but racing up the stairs. He opened the door to his old bedroom and was met with Sophia's slumbering form. He strained his ears, noticing that she wasn't snoring.

Rex crept closer to her, noticing that her breathing was uneven. She was awake. He slid into the bed next to her, carefully wrapping his arms around her waist. She didn't resist, but she didn't lean into his embrace either. "You have every right to be mad at me," he assured her. He lovingly kissed her shoulder, his grip maybe a bit too tight.

Sophia took a deep breath. "I'm not angry with you," she told him.

He grimaced. "Just upset," he observed. Damn it, she was shutting down on him. God, he wasn't wanted this.

She trembled slightly, hesitating. "Just upset," she agreed.

Rex kissed the nape of her neck. "Sophia," he whispered. He swallowed thickly, knowing that he had to pull her out for a moment. If he let this go on, she was going to shut him out and she couldn't do that. Especially not now when she had a stalker on the loose and refused to tell anyone else.

Sophia leaned away from his touch. "What?"

He took hold of her hips, bringing her back to him. He buried his face in the crook of her neck, kissing it. "I love you," he muttered into her skin. He closed his eyes, waiting for her reaction.

She tensed under him, turning around so quickly that she nearly smacked into him. "What?" she demanded, her wide and her mouth agape.

Rex took that as an opportunity to kiss her. "I love you," he repeated, kissing her feverishly. His mouth suddenly craved the feel of hers and he couldn't stop. "I love you, I love you, I-"

Sophia pushed away from him, confusion and hurt and affection and anger painted on her face. "What the hell, Rex?" she demanded incredulously. "You couldn't stand to hear those words a few hours ago. And now you're just spitting them out like they're nothing?"

He shook his head, kissing her again. "They're not nothing," he insisted. He did love her. He had never felt this way about anyone, bond be damned. She had let him in, now it was time for him to do the same. He moved away from her lips and onto her neck. "And I'm sorry. I shouldn't have walked out on you. I should have talked like you wanted to."

She shuddered as he kissed down her throat. "Y-You scared me," she admitted. Her eyes fluttered closed as she enjoyed the feeling of his lips. "I-I haven't seen you that mad since..."

Since her sixteenth birthday.

Rex paused, reaching for her small, delicate hand. It was calloused from the use of her sword, but he didn't mind. "I know, baby," he murmured, bringing it up to his lips. How could he have hurt her so badly? He gently kissed the back of it. "I'm sorry. You have my word that we'll work through this together."

Sophia opened her eyes, which were now full of tears. "I-I forgive you," she accepted. Damn, he hadn't seen her this shaken up since that night. "On one condition, though."

He squeezed her hand harder. "Anything," he swore.

She laced their fingers together. "Hold me tonight," she requested.

Rex chuckled, wrapping his arms around her waist and drawing her to his chest. "That I can do," he replied, kissing the top of her head. "Goodnight, Princess."

Sophia yawned, snuggling into his chest. "Night, Charmer."

OoOoOo

Once they were in the safety of her apartment the next day, Sophia and Rex talked. They talked for what must have been hours.

"I know this isn't conventional," Sophia said gently, adjusting his collar. She had been fidgeting ever since they'd woken up at his parents' house. "But I don't think it's fake. This bond may have brought us together, but can you look back and honestly tell me that these feelings aren't real?" Her fingers curled around his. "That this isn't real?"

Rex shook his head. "No," he confessed. In fact, he had never felt anything more real. "But what if that's the bond? What if it's deluding us?"

She bit her lip. "I could be," she admitted. "But the things that I've told you, I've never shared with anyone. Not my parents, not my brothers, and not Danica. I feel safe with you, Rex. I love you."

Hearing her say those words warmed him from head to toe. How foolish had he been, not letting her say it last night? The sweetest melody in the world couldn't compare to hearing those words from her mouth. "I love you too," he told her.

Sophia laid a hand on his cheek. "Then why didn't you tell me?" she asked gently. "We grew up together and yet I never knew how much you struggled with being Thanagarian."

Rex gave a heavy sigh, vaguely wondering how she could have guessed. "Things were just hard, I guess," he said slowly. He had never told this to anyone before. Not his mother or father and certainly not to Mareena or Jon. "Puberty, especially. I had this period of my life where I just wanted to have sex all the damn time. Not to mention, Danica made sure I never forgot that my mom betrayed the League and almost destroyed the world."

She flinched. "She did?"

He nodded, suddenly feeling guilty. He probably shouldn't have said that. Danica may have been an ex, but she was also Sophia's best friend. He didn't even want to test those waters. "Yeah..." He quickly changed the subject. "Do you know Amara?"

Sophia tilted her head. "Vixen's daughter? Yeah, I've run into her a few times. What about her?"

Rex grimaced. "Well, when I was eighteen, she showed up at my house. She was, for some reason, convinced that my dad was her dad. It caused so much tension between my parents. I thought they were gonna get a divorce." He shut his eyes for a moment before opening them again. "And, I don't know, I guess I always thought that if Mom hadn't been a traitor then Dad wouldn't have gotten with Vixen and Amara wouldn't have caused so much trouble."

She ran her thumb over his cheek. "Was she your sister?" she questioned carefully.

He shook his head. "No," he answered blankly. It was difficult to remember that time of his life. Everything had been turned upside down. "All that and it wasn't even true."

Sophia pressed her lips together, gazing up at him sympathetically. "I'm sorry you had to go through that."

Rex turned his head, pressing a kiss to her palm. "It's over now," he assured her. "Sometimes, I just wish I was only human. Wouldn't things be so much easier?"

She placed a peck on his cheek. "Perhaps. Perhaps not." She took his face in both of her hands. "But listen, you can't forget that your mom was tricked too. She thought she was doing right by Earth. I understand that it's difficult to cope with at times, but she has more than redeemed herself now, don't you think?"

Of course he did. His mother was a hero, and a good wife and mother. He knew that thinking like this was unfair, but he couldn't help it sometimes. "Yeah, I know, I just..." He sighed, gently kissing her on the forehead. "Do you still want to go through with this? I know it's a lot."

Sophia gave him a weak grin. "I killed someone, was assaulted in my office, and am fending off a literal stalker," she reminded him. "For all I put you though, I think I can handle this."

Rex's hold tightened on her, tucking her into his chest. Affection swelled in his heart for the woman in his arms because who else would willingly deal with his crazy genetics? "I love you."

Her arms encircled his and he could practically feel the happiness radiating off her. "I love you too."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally, they said it! I don't know about y'all, but I was waiting for that! I thoroughly enjoyed writing this chapter. I especially liked the part with John in it. He's fun to write. Anyway, I hope you liked it and please review!


	23. Chapter 23

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So now, we're back to the present when Sophia is sick. Finally, right? Please enjoy!

God, the pain was unbearable.

The bad thing was, he wasn't even the one feeling it. It was all Sophia's pain, he could only feel a vague shadow of it. Due to the bond, he presumed. They were still navigating through it. He watched her as she twisted and writhed on the medical table, cries of agony tearing from her lips. She struggled violently against the hold of her mother, her eyes shut and sweat dripping down her wasn't sure which was more painful; feeling Sophia's anguish or seeing her suffer as she did.

"Hera, what is happening?" exclaimed Aunt Diana, her eyebrows furrowed in confusion and her face lined with worry. "She's never been sick before!"

Uncle Bruce's face remained impassive as always as he drew blood from her. "She could have been injected with something," he pointed out. "What and how I don't know. I'm going to have to scan her blood. It may be difficult, though."

"Why?"

He sighed. "Her blood," he answered. "It isn't like my blood or even yours. She is half Amazon, after all. It'll be hard to separate what's actually part of her blood and what may or may not be in her system."

Guilt bubbled within Rex and he wanted more than anything to just tell them. He wanted to tell them that Sophia had a stalker. He wanted to tell them that the stalker knew what she had done in France. He wanted to tell them that the stalker was the one to infect her. With what, he didn't know, but he had a good idea of how they had done it.

That damn inhibitor brace. It had dug into her skin, but he hadn't thought it had injected something into her bloodstream. Though, from what Sophia had told him, Holland had been the one to force it onto her that night. Could Holland had been involved with her stalker?

The terrifying thought caused him to flinch. It started to make sense, in an awful way. Perhaps Holland had been working for the stalker, but had gone rogue and had gotten infatuated with Sophia too? Fear clenched his stomach. What if they had planned to kidnap her that night, but Holland had decided to stray?

Rex felt his heart rate begin to pick up. God, he could have lost Sophia that night. Of course, he was by no means glad that the bastard had gotten his hands on her, but it wasn't as if he hadn't gotten what he deserved. Death. Rage stirred beneath his skin. If the fucker wasn't dead, he might have killed him himself.

"Rex?" He was brought out of his thoughts by his aunt who looked particularly troubled. "She's stable for now," Diana informed him. "You must be tired. Why don't you head home?"

He bit his lip. He knew had had to get his hands on that brace, but he was extremely reluctant to leave Sophia's side. What if her fever spiked again? What if she threw up blood next time? What if-?

His godmother smiled at him. "We will take good care of her," she promised. "You should get some rest."

Rex sighed, knowing he had to trust her parents. If anyone could cure Sophia, it was them. "O-Okay," he agreed hesitantly. His eyes somehow met Bruce's which were narrowed behind his cowl. Suddenly, he felt incredibly awkward. It was as if he was intruding on something. "I'll, uh, be back tomorrow." He rushed out quickly, not wanting to over-stay.

OoOoOo

"Son of a bitch," hissed Rex as he rummaged through his apartment. Where had he put the damn thing? Honestly, it could have been anywhere. He had been a bit preoccupied the night he had gotten it off of her. Heat rushed to his face as he thought about his and Sophia's first time together. How perfect and erotic and- his pants were starting to get tight. Goddammit, now was not the time!

Shaking it off, he moved to look under the couch. "Ha!" he exclaimed in victory, reaching for it. "There you are, you little shit." He took it and looked at it closely. There must have been a hidden compartment or-

Suddenly, his phone vibrated. He tensed, slowly getting it out of his pocket. One new message from anonymous. 'If you want to save the princess, then you'll cut off all communication with her,' read the text. 'You have her heart, Hawk, now break it. If not, she dies.'

Rex growled lowly, dropping the phone before he crushed it out of anger. The Thanagarian half of him was raging at that threat and his human part wasn't too happy either. If he ever got his hands on that fucker... He didn't know what they were trying to play at. What, did they think that if he broke up with her that she would go running into their arms?

Fuck no, his girl would probably tear their arms off.

He knew that Sophia's stalker was bluffing. They were infatuated with her, obsessed with her. He'd been a hero long enough to know their memo. They wanted her alive and they wanted her to be theirs. She was safe from death, but that didn't mean that he wanted her to suffer.

Rex debated risking the waters and telling them as such, but he didn't dare. The ass was clearly deranged, who knew what they would do? This person broke into her apartment and molested her. He wouldn't put anything past them.

No, he had a better plan. He wasn't fond of who it involved, but it wasn't like he had a lot of options at this point.

OoOoOo

"Stewart, I think you're losing it."

Rex groaned, somehow finding the restraint to keep from snapping at the woman in front of him. "It's the truth, Danica," he insisted for the eighth time. Apparently, Sophia hadn't talked to her for months and she was more than a little petty about it. "I know you don't like me, and the feeling's very mutual, but I thought you cared about Sophia."

Danica's dark eyes flashed. "I love Sophia more than you'll ever comprehend," she snapped. And damn, if he didn't feel a twinge of jealousy at the declaration. "But if she had a stalker, how did her parents not know? Her dad's fucking Batman, if you recall. And why wouldn't you tell them even if they didn't?"

He raised an eyebrow, recalling just how much trouble she and Sophia used to get into. "Would you have?" he asked dryly.

She pursed her lips. "Point taken," she accepted. "But I still don't understand what you want me to do about it."

Rex rolled his eyes. "Are you a scientist or not?" he pointed out. He took out the inhibitor collar, which was resting in a re-sealable bag. "I need you to analyze the contents in this compartment. I think she was injected with it." Unfortunately, this was no his domain. Even more unfortunate, Danica was the only one he could trust right now.

Danica glared. "And you haven't told her dad?" she demanded. "If anyone can analyze this, it's Batman. Why would you bring it to me?"

He nearly growled with impatience. "This bastard's threatened her life, Danica," he hissed. He was losing his patience. Every second they wasted was a second that he could lose her. "What do you think they would do if they knew I was going to her parents?"

She sighed. "Something awful," she answered begrudgingly. She snatched the bag from his hands. "Let's get something straight, Stewart, this is for Sophia, not you. I don't know what she sees in you, but don't make me regret not fighting harder for her. Save her from this bitch and give her the best fucking life you can."

Rex cocked his head to the side. "You say that as if that wasn't what I was planning to do," he drawled.

Danica laughed, startled. "Maybe you're not the worst choice, after all," she mocked, standing. "Give me a few minutes and I'll have this analyzed. Hopefully, I can make a cure from it if there isn't one already."

For the first time in their lives, Rex felt a swell of affection toward the woman in front of him. "Thank you, Danica."

She waved him off, but she was obviously flattered by his gratitude. "Don't mention it, Rex."

OoOoOo

It was days later that Rex returned to Sophia's side. Her parents were on patrol with the assurance that Alfred was watching over her. He approached her slowly, taking in her pale face and messy hair. "Hey, Soph," he greeted, taking a seat on her right. She had been in and out of consciousness for days. Sometimes she was lucid, other times not so much.

He brushed his lips against her forehead. "I'm so sorry that you've been suffering so much," he whispered. He liked to talk to her when she was unconscious. He wasn't sure why, but it helped him process. "I promise, we'll take the fucker down. He/She/It won't get away with this."

Rex leaned back, admiring his princess. She was so beautiful. "I have something for you," he announced. He took the syringe out of his bag. 'Please, please let this work.' "Danica made this for you. I didn't want to tell you, but she and I have been working together." He forced himself to crack a smile. "Yeah, I know. This is the longest we've gone without fighting."

He took her hand, gently kissing the back of it. "If you want to hang with her more, I get it," he allowed. "You've always been close and that shouldn't stop. Not because of me or whatever fight you guys had." He carefully rolled up her sleeve. "I know you hate shots, but you gotta bear with me, okay?"

Biting his lip, Rex injected her with the needle. As gently as he could, he pushed the syringe down, watching as it drained into her arm. "You know, it was tough finding a needle that would pierce your skin. I..." His voice broke, his throat tight with tears fighting for release. "I hope it works." He pressed his lips to hers before making a hasty retreat.

But then, there was a groan. The medical table creaked and there was rustling. "Rex?"

He nearly gasped as he turned around. Sophia was sitting up, her rich olive complexion returning and her eyes wide with curiosity. Rex quickly composed himself, moving back to her side. "Hey," he breathed. Hope rose in his chest that maybe- just maybe- it had worked. "How do you feel?"

Sophia flexed her hands before touching her face. "Well, I'm not dead," she joked. "Can't get rid of me yet, Charmer."

He almost scolded her for the joke- he had literally been this close to losing her- but couldn't help the relief that swelled in his heart. "You seem to have a habit of getting yourself in trouble," he jeered back. He rested a hand on her cooling forehead. "You're fever broke. Are... Do you think you're better?"

She hummed in thought. "I think so," she answered. She winked, nudging him with her elbow. "Told you I wasn't pregnant." She leaned forward to kiss his cheek. "I'm always on the pill. You know that."

Rex couldn't help but laugh at her. "Yeah, I know," he agreed. His smile soon faded as the reality of the situation sank in. "Soph, it was Chase." He carefully watched her face for a reaction.

Chase was the code name for her stalker. They used it when talking about the subject in areas where her parents or anyone else could overhear them. It came from the word 'chaser.' He had suggested Hunter, but she had declined. She said it made her feel too much like a helpless animal being hunted down.

Sophia tensed, her eyes becoming wide with alarm. "You're sure?" she whispered. He didn't answer, just showed her the texts. She frowned, taking his phone from him. "Seriously? They wanted you to break up with me? That's fucking low."

He nodded, reaching for her hand. "Don't be mad," he warned. "but I had to tell Danica."

She blinked. "Danica?" she repeated, tilting her head to the side. "But you hate her."

Rex shrugged. "I don't think I can hate her after this," he replied. The two of them had fallen in love after all. If that could happen, he could tolerate Danica's existence. "She's the one who made the antidote. It's because of her that you didn't..."

Sophia cupped his cheek, leaning to kiss him on the forehead. "You won't lose me," she promised. "But I will have to thank her." She looked down, embarrassed. "I've been avoiding her lately. I-"

"You love her."

The words tumbled out before he could stop them. But Rex didn't regret them, nor could he find it within himself to be jealous or angry. It was something that would never go away. The things the two of them had gone through, he couldn't even attempt to ask her to stop feeling the affection she held for the woman.

She stared at him for a moment. "Of course," she told him. "She's my best friend. But I'm not in love with her anymore. Haven't been for a long time." Her thumb smoothed over the flesh under his eye. "I'm in love with you. Danica's my past. You are my present and, I'm hoping, my future."

Rex couldn't help the grin that forced itself onto his face. "If I have anything to say about it, hell yeah," he agreed. "But if you want to start spending more time with her, I'm cool with that."

Sophia smiled that dazzling smile of hers. "I appreciate that." She nuzzled her nose against his. "My parents will be finishing patrol soon."

He nodded. "I should go, then," he said, kissing her cheek. "I love you."

She beamed at him. "I love you too."

God, he never got tired of hearing her say that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know. I know that was resolved way to quickly but give me a break, okay? Anyway, I hope you liked it and please review!


	24. Chapter 24

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this chapter is hella late and I'm sorry. Just a lot going on right now. Anyway, please enjoy!

Sophia was less than excited about turning twenty-four.

For one, she felt old. It was, after all, ten whole years ago that she and Danica had begun their relationship. Now, everything was different. Now, she was in a relationship with Rex Stewart of all people. It was ironic to think about at times. She didn't regret being with him, of course, but she was sure that Teen Sophia would be disgusted.

Sophia snorted, standing on the deck and looking out into the night. She had to admit, it was nice to be back in her apartment. Her father had only let her go after running a series of extensive tests, much to her frustration. Though, she knew how boggled he was that she had made a quick and miraculous recovery.

She had Rex to think for that, of course, not that her parents knew. She had edited the security feed in the cave to make it look as though he had only visited with her. The syringe was completely edited out, as was their dialogue.

Sophia rubbed her bare arm against the cold. She probably wouldn't have been cold if she had bothered to wear something a little warmer, but she wasn't about to give up Rex's T-shirt. Not only was it super comfortable, but it smelled like him and that soothed her. Though, she probably should have put on something other than her undergarments. Oh well.

The corners of her mouth twitched as two strong arms wrapped around her waist from behind. "You're up early," commented Rex, burying his face in the crook of her neck. His muscular, bare chest pressed against her back. "Or maybe late. However you want to look at it."

She leaned into the embrace. "Couldn't sleep," she admitted. It was nearly midnight and yet she wasn't even a little tired. Which was odd, since Rex was the insomniac between the two. Though, he had been sleeping a lot better as of late.

Sophia wondered if it had to do with the bond. She rubbed her arm again, this time out of anxiety. Sometimes, the bond was a good and bad thing. The hopeless romantic in her reveled at the idea of having someone she was completely compatible with. She loved Rex with her whole heart and the fact that his instincts had deemed her worthy meant a lot, more than she would care to admit.

The rational side, however, was wary. What if they were being forced together, as Rex feared? She felt as though her feelings were real, but were they? What if it was the bond making her think that?

Rex frowned into her skin. "What's wrong, baby?" he asked in concern.

Instantly, she felt guilty. She didn't want to worry him. Though, she knew that if she didn't tell him, it would just keep bothering him. "I'm just processing, I guess," she told him. "My life wasn't like this a year ago. When I turned twenty-three, I was almost done with law school. I never would have thought that I'd be in so much danger..."

Sophia had never told him, but her temporary illness had rattled her. She had never been sick before and to come down with something so serious... She had been scared. She didn't know if he could feel it through their bond, but her stalker was getting more dangerous, bolder. They wanted her and they wouldn't stop until they had her.

She gripped the railing. She would be happy when they took the bitch down once and for all. She wouldn't live in fear for the rest of her life.

Rex laid a gentle hand on hers, gently taking her face. She was suddenly looking into his gorgeous green eyes and found she couldn't tear her own away. "I know you're going through a lot," he said lowly and she shivered at his tone. "But it's your day. you should try to enjoy yourself tomorrow." He kissed her nose. "I have a lot planned."

Sophia grinned. "Care to let me in on these plans?" she asked. He had announced yesterday that he would be taking her out for her birthday. He wouldn't tell her what he was doing and she was dying to know.

He smirked. "Nope," he replied, popping the 'p.' His hands slipped under her shirt and up and down her stomach before he suddenly paused. "Hey, is this my shirt?"

She giggled, leaning back onto his shoulder. "Maybe," she admitted. "I was too lazy to look for mine and..." She bit her lip, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment.

Rex nuzzled her cheek with his nose. "And what?" he teased, one hand settling on her breast.

Sophia moaned. "It smells like you," she confessed. Her chest arched towards his hands as he massaged her chest. "It makes me feel better."

He chuckled lowly, moving his hands down to her hips. "I love you," he told her. And Hera, she would never get tired of hearing those words. Especially when he'd been so reluctant to say them before.

She had to smile. "Love you too." The alarm on her phone finally beeped, indicating that it was now midnight.

Rex smiled into her hair. "Happy birthday, Princess."

Sophia leaned into him. "Thank you."

OoOoOo

Sophia absolutely detested it when Rex pulled out of her.

He was warm. His seed was warm. She liked being warm. When he removed himself from inside her, she felt as though a piece of that warmth was being ripped away. It left her feeling colder and colder every time, especially when her body cooled from the intensity. She moaned as he finally pulled himself out of her protesting folds. She always had him in a vice grip.

Sophia closed her eyes, allowing the aftermath to wash over her. Her clit throbbed and her nipples were erect and Hera, nothing could compare to this feeling. "Fuck," she breathed.

Rex gave her a silly, boyish grin. "Like that?" he asked, brushing his lips against her forehead.

Lazily, she nodded. "Mm-hmm." She leaned up to press her mouth to his. "What a way to wake up." If that was her only present, she would be completely happy. She plopped back onto the bed, tired. "Can we just lay here for the rest of the day?"

He laughed, enveloping her in his arms. "As tempting as that sounds, we have more on the schedule today," he reminded her.

Sophia propped herself up on her elbows. "You still haven't told me where we're going," she pointed out. She bit her lip, peering up at him through half-lidded eyes as she let the blanket fall from her body. "How am I supposed to know what to wear?"

Rex's green eyes went wide as he averted them from her gaze. "Whatever you feel like wearing is fine," he told her. Quickly, he untangled himself from her arms. "I'll, uh, let you change." He swiftly retreated from her room.

She rolled her eyes with an endearing smile. She pulled her aching body up from the bed and began to pick out an outfit. She decided to go with casually fashionable wearing a skirt, a pair of brown boots, and a loose, button-up blouse. She topped it off with a light pink headband before finally deeming her outfit acceptable.

She couldn't wait to see what he planned.

OoOoOo

Their first stop was a roller skating rink.

Sophia tilted her head. "Rex, I don't know how to skate," she confessed, biting her lip. She watched as he strapped the skates to her feet, tying them with precision. She could have done it herself, but he had deemed her tying skills appalling and didn't want her to trip over the laces. He was worrying over her more than usual, but she didn't say anything. She supposed it was his way of coping.

Rex grinned up at her. "Princess, do you think I would let you fall?" he teased, looping the final knot. "Just hold on to me."

A smile tugged at her lips. "Okay," she agreed hesitantly, standing to her feet. She wobbled, nearly falling before Rex caught her by the waist. "I think you're getting some sort of sick satisfaction from this."

He chuckled lowly. "Maybe," he admitted. He gently took her hands, leading her to the rink. The music played softly in the background.

Sophia struggled to keep balance, trying to keep her feet from straying apart. "Rex, I'm gonna fall," she told him bluntly. She could already see it, the proud Amazon Princess overcome by skating of all things. Her brothers would have a field day. "And I'm gonna bring you down with me."

Rex shook his head, his smile amused. "Babe, you're not gonna fall," he promised. "Just relax. You'll get the hang of it."

She held his hands tightly as they made it to the rink. She was embarrassed to see people old and young whiz by them, the shame rushing to her cheeks. "How are you so good at this?" she mumbled, slightly envious. She was good at a lot of things- combat, research, manipulation (she was a lawyer)- so she was surprised that Rex was better than her at this. How did he do it?

He laughed, spinning her lightly. "You're overthinking it, baby," he informed her. She stumbled, holding onto him for dear life. "Just skate, you don't have to think about it."

Sophia sighed, letting him dip her. "I don't know how to do that," she reminded him. Though, she did appreciate their close proximity. If it wasn't for the constant fear of falling, she would be having a lot of fun.

Rex turned her so that his chest was pressed against her back. "Then think about it logically," he rasped in her ear and suddenly she wasn't thinking about the skates on her feet. "What makes you move from left to right?"

She swallowed thickly, taking a few moments to even process what he was saying. "Whichever foot you put more weight on," she answered. Hesitantly, she released one of his hands to face the same direction as him.

He smiled. "Good," he praised. "Now, how do you achieve the transition?"

Hera, he was a nerd. But Sophia answered, "By shifting." She did just that, shifting her weight from one foot to the other. Suddenly, she was actually doing it. She slowly let go of his hand, gliding from one side to the other. "H-Holy shit." She laughed; she was roller skating. "I'm doing it!"

Rex grinned. "Told you," he called. She was a few feet ahead of him now. "You're doing great, babe. Just be-"

Sophia let out a startled yelp as she lost her footing, tumbling to the ground. "Aw, fuck!" she hissed, though it didn't really hurt. She was more embarrassed than anything. Still, she kept laughing at the sheer joy of it all. Who knew that Rex knew how to have fun?

He winced. "-careful," he finished, rolling up to her. He held out a hand. "You okay?"

She took it but grinned wickedly as she tugged on his arm. He slipped, landing on top of her and his arms on either side of her. Sophia slyly bit her lip, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Better than okay," she answered coyly. She leaned forward, pressing a chaste kiss to his lips.

Rex rolled his eyes at her as he stood up but still helped her to her feet. "It's time for us to go," he announced, leading her out of the rink. "Did you have fun?"

Sophia nodded, a wide smile on her face. "Yup!" she exclaimed jovially. "What's next, oh bed buddy of mine?"

He raised an eyebrow at her. "Really?"

She stood on her toes, blowing a raspberry on his cheek. "Yup!" she repeated. Before he could complain, she laced their fingers together and began to walk. "Where to next?"

OoOoOo

Rex took her to a fancy cafe just a few blocks from the roller rink. He had never taken her there before and she was curious to see why he had chosen this place of all places. He looped an arm around her waist as he lead her into the cafe. Instantly, she was hit with the smell of coffee beans and chocolate. She inhaled it slowly, reveling in the scent.

"How'd you find this place?" questioned Sophia as they sat near the windows. He liked to sit near the windows.

Rex smirked at her. "I have my ways," he answered cryptically.

They opened their menus and Sophia looked over the options. Everything looked so enriched. "Rex, are you trying to get me fat?" she teased but eyed the selection of crepes.

He rolled his eyes. "There are only two places where you have even a little fat," he retorted, a ghost of a grin on his face.

She tilted her head. "What are you-?" She flushed, suddenly understanding what he meant. "Asshole." She laughed, crumpling up her napkin and throwing it at him. She adjusted her shirt, covering what little cleavage she was showing.

Rex pouted. "Dammit, I shouldn't have said anything," he mumbled.

This time, Sophia rolled her eyes. "You see it enough," she reminded him. "I think I want a Nutella and strawberry crepe. You?"

He shrugged. "Maybe an egg and ham crepe?" he mused.

She shook her head. They really were opposites. She had an (admittedly bad) sweet tooth and he chose savory over sweet any day. "Why am I not surprised?" Their waiter approached and they ordered their food. Sophia requested her Nutella and strawberry crepe with hot chocolate and Rex got his egg and ham crepe with orange juice.

"Rex?"

"Yes?"

Sophia smirked, cocking her head to the side. "What time does my surprise party start?"

Rex nearly choked on his orange juice. "W-What?" he sputtered, his green eyes wide.

She snorted, nearly choking on her own hot chocolate. "Hera, Rex, who raised me?" she reminded him. "I'm not an idiot. I know that you've been distracting me." She took out her phone, waving it around. "Not hearing from my dad on my birthday is normal, but my mother? My brothers? Hell no."

His right eye twitched. "How long have you known?"

Sophia laughed. "Since this morning," she revealed. She blushed, recalling her very pleasant wake-up call. "That was clever, by the way, distracting me before I could call them." Because Hera knew her mother wouldn't have been able to keep the secret.

Rex sighed. "Can you at least act surprised?" he pleaded.

She blew him a kiss. "Of course, my love." He shoved a piece of her crepe in her mouth.

OoOoOo

The two of them arrived at Wayne Manor later that evening. Sophia linked her arm with Rex's as they walked toward the large oak doors. "Thank you for today," she whispered for no apparent reason, leaning her head on his shoulder. "I had fun." She hadn't done anything like that for her birthday in seven years. Maybe she had made a mistake, running off to France by herself.

Rex kissed the top of her head. "I'm glad you liked it." His voice held a solemn tone to it that caught her off guard.

She stopped walking, turning to face him. "Is something wrong?" she asked. He had been fine earlier, joyful even.

He sighed, raking his hands through his hair. "I just haven't seen you that happy in a while is all," he admitted, a faraway look in his eyes. "It was nice to see you smile."

Sophia hummed, cupping his face. "I know everything's been... stressful lately," she replied gently. Between her stalker and their bond, they had a lot going on. "But I'm always happy with you, okay? We're gonna get through it, just like you said."

Rex's lips curved into a smile as he turned his head, kissing her palm. "I love you," he told her.

She grinned. "Love you too, buddy."

His expression turned incredulous. "Did you just friend zone me?"

Sophia raised an amused eyebrow. "How can I friend zone my boyfriend?" she questioned. She shook her head, leading him to the door. She knocked three times before stepping back.

Alfred, of course, answered the door. "Miss Sophia and Mister Reginald," he greeted regally. "I must say this is a surprise."

She crossed her arms. "Really, Al?" She rolled her eyes, going in for a hug. "Is that any way to treat your surrogate granddaughter on her birthday? At her own surprise party?"

Rex sighed behind her. "Soph."

There was a twinkle in Alfred's eyes. "They are waiting for you in the foyer," he informed them. "Happy birthday, my dear."

Sophia gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Thanks, Alfred." She laced her fingers with Rex's and lead him to the foyer. As expected all the lights were turned off. "Wow, it's dark in here."

There was a swift pinch to her side.

The lights flicked on. "SURPRISED!" chorused everyone as they jumped out of hiding and Hera, there were a lot of them. Her parents were there, obviously, as were her brothers. To her surprise, Danica, Jon, and Mareena were also there, as well as the Founders. Sophia raised an eyebrow, wondering why Mareena was there if her father wasn't.

She held Rex's hand a little tighter, suddenly feeling a bit possessive. She knew he loved her, of course, but damn it Mareena was pretty. And sweet. And smart. And probably didn't have a stalker.

And Hera, that ass.

A part of her couldn't help but think that Rex would be better off with Mareena. They'd obviously had something special before she had been forced upon him. She was, after all, indirectly the reason for the break-up.

Sophia shook these thoughts away and plastered a smile on her face. "Oh my god!" she cooed, admiring the simply decorated room. "Is this all for me? You all shouldn't have!"

Her father gave her a blank look. "You knew the whole time, didn't you?"

"I will neither confirm nor deny that."

OoOoOo

The party had actually been fun. She'd gotten a lot of gifts, including her own star from Uncle Clark, Aunt Lois, and Jon. Her mother and Aunt Shayera had engaged in a drinking contest, much to her and Rex's embarrassment (it had ended up in a tie). She and Rex ate, drank, danced (the man had moves), and made out in an empty corridor (best part of the party).

Much to her surprise, and relief, they had caught Danica and Mareena of all people engaged in their own lip-locking. She had nearly squealed before Rex had covered her mouth, practically dragging her out of the hallway.

"Today was a good day," sighed Sophia when they returned to her apartment.

Rex gave her a lazy smile. "Glad you had fun," he responded, his speech only slightly slurred. They were nowhere near drunk, just a bit tipsy. Either way, their parents had forced them to take the Zeta Beams back.

She replied with her own goofy grin. "I told you, I always have fun with you..." She leaned in to give him a kiss, but missed and landed on the corner of his mouth. "But you know what would be funner?"

He smirked. "Other than funner not being a word, I can think of a few." He sat down on the couch, pulling her onto his lap. Their lips met in a sloppy kiss, both of them giggling too much for it to be serious. He pulled away, his eyes alight with adoration. "You're so cute."

Sophia giggled, lightly punching his shoulder. "No, you're so cute," she insisted. She settled into the crook of his neck and closed her eyes. She had never felt so safe with another person in her life. But Rex always made her feel secure and loved and oh-so warm. He was always warm.

Her phone vibrated and she frowned at the interruption. "Oh, damn it all..." She unlocked it, checking the messages. Instantly, her blood ran cold as she stood up, scanning the message from an anonymous number. 'Happy birthday, Kitten! You looked cute in that short skirt of yours... Left you a birthday surprise at your door! But don't tell the Hawk, okay? It's our secret! Xoxo'

Rex seemed to sober as she stared at her phone for too long. "Hey, are you okay?" he questioned. His green eyes were instantly alert. "Is it Chase?"

Sophia tensed, shoving her phone back into her pocket. "No," she answered a little took quickly. "No, it was, uh, a birthday text from Bethany. I, um, also just remembered I haven't checked my mail. I'll be right back!"

She ran out of the apartment before he could protest. Carefully closing the door behind her, Sophia's eyes narrowed at the plain, brown box in front of her. It looked innocent enough, but looks could be deceiving. She bent down, opening it slowly.

Inside were various pictures of her. Some of them were from her time in France, others were when she had returned. Some of them she had clothes on in, others she didn't. But at the bottom was what scared her the most.

It was a simple letter. But the contents of the letter made her sick to her stomach. It described, in great detail, what they planned to do with her. How they planned to... fuck her.

Sophia shook as she read the letter, the idea of this person actually getting their hands on her... Her bottom lip trembled as she thought of actually enduring some of these things. "Hera, no," she whispered. "Please, no." Tears welled in her eyes as she buried her face in her hands.

Suddenly, there was a hand on her shoulder. Sophia raised her head to look up into Rex's warm green eyes. Without saying a word, he kissed her forehead and gathered all the items she'd received.

Confusion broke through all the anguish. "What... what are you doing?" Sophia asked through her tears.

Rex gave her a weak smile. "Burning this shit, of course."

Sophia laughed, startled. How did he always know the right thing to do? Overwhelming affection for him swelled in her heart. "Rex?"

"Yeah?"

She sniffed but managed to smile. "I love you."

He blew her a kiss. "I love you too."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this is the 24th chapter and Sophia turned 24. Hmm... I swear that wasn't intentional, lol. Anyway, I hope you liked it and please review!


	25. Chapter 25

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please enjoy!

She felt it before she heard about it.

An unexpected pain seared through Sophia's chest. She gasped at the sudden pain, clutching at her left breast. "What the hell?" she grounded out, trying to ignore it. This failed, however, as the pain seemed to intense and she shot up out of bed. "Fuck." She gripped her hair, the pain unbearably sharp and fierce and what the hell was going on?

Her phone blared in her right ear and she weakly reached for it. "Hello?" she answered, her voice hoarse with agony. Hera, this fucking hurt.

'Sophia, get ready!' barked Uncle John on the other end, startling her. 'I'm having J'onn transport you directly to the Watchtower.'

Sophia blinked through her pain and weariness, trying to comprehend what was being spoken to her. "W-What?" she stuttered in confusion. What business did she have on the Watchtower and why was he calling her and not her parents? "Why?"

'Rex was shot,' the man bit out. 'He's in surgery.'

Sophia felt her heart stop. Suddenly, there was a pain in her chest far greater than the one she had just been experiencing. "S-Shot?" she repeated. The word felt disgusting on her tongue. It was hard to associate it with Rex, strong, sturdy Rex who was unbreakable. Not like her, not sensitive or unstable. Him being shot just didn't make sense to her. It was unfathomable, incomprehensible.

She swallowed, forcing her senses to come back. "What happened?" she rasped, her voice fragile and wavering.

'We aren't sure,' replied Uncle John. 'He came in from New Hale with a bullet lodged in his chest and knocked out before he could tell us.' There were background voices for a few seconds, but she couldn't concentrate enough to make out what they were saying. 'Are you ready?'

Sophia looked down at her white plaid pajama and black crop top. "More than ready," she responded, her hand curling into a fist. Suddenly, she couldn't feel the pain from earlier. No, now all she felt was concern and anger. Rex was shot. Someone had dared to point a gun at him, to lay a finger on him.

That someone would pay.

OoOoOo

It was wrong, seeing him like that.

Rex's surgery had ended hours ago and Sophia refused to leave his side even though he was stable for now. She could hardly take her eyes off his face, his pale, nearly lifeless face that was so different than it normally was. It wasn't right. Just last night, he had kissed her goodnight and left for New Hale. She would give anything to see his green eyes open. She would give anything to hear his voice.

She wanted so desperately to break down and cry, but she held it off. His parents needed her to be strong right now. Rex needed her to be strong right now. If she fell apart, what was to stop him from doing the same? So, Sophia took hold of his hand. "A-And you say I'm impossible to deal with," she joked, her bottom lip trembling.

She gave a ragged breath. "Damn, baby, you s-scared the shit out of me," she continued. She didn't know why she was talking to him, it wasn't like he could hear her. He was knocked out on anesthesia given to him during surgery. But she found that it helped her cope. "Uncle John called me in a panic. Put your parents in an early grave, why don't you?"

Sophia laced their fingers together. "I think we both know who this was," she said lowly. "And I promise you, I'll hunt the fucker down myself. He/She/It's gone too far this time."

She leaned forward to brush her lips against his forehead. "I love you," she whispered. "And I don't think I'm ready to let you go yet, okay? So, just hang in there. For me."

A hand was laid on her shoulder. "Sophia, you should rest," Aunt Shayera advised. Her voice was full of pain and uneasiness, something that the young woman was not accustomed to hearing from her godmother. "We can call you when he wakes up."

She gripped his hand tighter, the thought of being away from him right now physically painful. "I-I can't leave him, Aunt Shay," she responded softly. "He needs me right now."

The redheaded woman brushed the hair away from her forehead. "He would want you to take care of yourself," she reminded her. "You look tired, sweetheart. Why don't you head home and come back in the afternoon? Okay?"

Sophia desperately wanted to argue. Wanted to insist that he needed her and that she could never dream of leaving him. But she looked at her godmother's tired, worried face and suddenly felt selfish. This was the woman's only son, her baby. She and Uncle John were hurting just as much as her, if not more. What right did she have to take their places?

Reluctantly, she nodded. "O-Okay," she agreed hesitantly. Aunt Shayera smiled and kissed the top of her head. She forced herself to walk away from the med bay, allowing his parents to take over.

Surprisingly, her own parents were waiting for her. "Hi, Mommy," she greeted quietly. Suddenly, she felt small. Then again, she always did around them. "Hi, Daddy."

Her mother gently traced the curve of her cheek. "Hi, baby," she replied. She looped an arm around her shoulders and lead her to the Zeta Beams. Her father walked on her other side, subtly taking her hand.

She appreciated their silence.

OoOoOo

Rex woke up to a searing pain in his chest and a warm hand in his own.

He blinked through the weariness fogging his mind, trying to piece together his thoughts together. What had happened? The last thing he remembered was kissing Sophia goodnight and heading back to New Hale for patrol. He forced his eyes open, but even that seemed to take too much energy. His head lobbed to the side and he caught sight of familiar wavy, dark hair. "Soph?" he questioned, squeezing her hand.

Sophia jolted awake, her eyes snapping open. She blinked at him for a moment before it came together. "Rex," she breathed. Tears welled in her eyes. "Y-You're awake."

Rex, put off by her tears, went to embrace her, but groaned as pain rolled through his body. "Yeah..." he muttered. "What... what happened?"

Her bottom lip began to tremble. "You were... shot," she revealed. Her hand shook in his and he felt an awful, miserable pang in his chest. "In New Hale. You somehow made it to the Watchtower and you had to have surgery. Uncle John called me in a panic."

He, for some reason he couldn't place, felt guilty. "Do we know who did it?" he inquired, sitting up straighter. Vaguely, he recalled wrapping up a petty theft that night. The next thing he knew, he was struggling toward the Zeta Beam and gripping his burning chest.

Sophia shook her head and placed a hand on his shoulder, gently easing him back down. "Too many questions," she stated adamantly, obviously dodging the question. "You need to rest."

Rex rained an eyebrow, looping an arm around her waist. She squeaked as he tugged her closer so that she was on top of him. "Lay with me," he pleaded. He could feel the sorrow and restlessness she had been feeling over his state. It weighed upon his heart and suddenly, all he wanted was to be closer to her.

She bit her lip. "I shouldn't," she told him, her eyes lingering on his bullet wound. "I don't wanna aggravate it."

He traced the delicate curve of her cheek with his thumb. "You won't," he promised. "Just stay, okay? I need you with me."

Sophia closed her eyes for a moment and he watched the gentle rise and fall of her chest as her breaths slowed. "Okay," she finally agreed. Gently, she pulled back the blanket and slipped in next to him.

Rex held onto her, her smaller frame settling perfectly into his. It always felt right when they laid like this, like it was always meant to be that way. "I'm sorry," he whispered. "I didn't mean to upset you."

"It's okay," she mumbled, her voice wavering. "You just scared me, is all." She lightly traced the wound with her nimble fingers. "It just missed your heart, apparently. A few more inches and you-" Her voice broke here, interrupted by a sob.

He kissed the top of her head. "I'm sorry," he repeated. He vaguely wondered if this was for her what her illness had been for hi "But you know something, don't you?" It killed him to ask, yet he knew he needed to get it out of her. Sophia kept things close to her chest by nature, always trying to protect the people closest to her. She, of course, never thought to protect herself.

Sophia flinched. "Rex," she begged.

"Soph."

She sighed, reaching to pull out her phone. "I-I think Chase was responsible," she revealed. "Scratch that, I'm sure it was them. They... They sent me this." She showed him the message.

'Oops! Look like your boy toy got hurt, Kitten. Wonder what happened?'

Sophia's bottom lip began to tremble again and all he wanted to do was kiss it to make it stop. "T-They did this because of me," she told him. "You wouldn't break up with me, so now they're trying to scare me." The tears rolled down her cheeks and he was too slow to stop them. "I'm so sorry..."

Gently, Rex took her face in his hands. "Hey, what did we talk about?" he reminded her softly. Seeing her so upset hurt worse than the stitched hole in his chest. "There's only one person at fault here, remember?"

She shook her head. "But they're after me," she shot back. "Rex, I can't put you in danger like this. It isn't right."

He thought about her words, trying to put it into perspective. If it was her in this hospital bed, would he react any differently? Probably not. But she probably wouldn't let him push her away either. A plan was already formulating in his mind. "Then we should make it so that neither one of us is in danger," he suggested, brushing the hair out of her face.

Sophia blinked. "How?" she asked.

Rex sat up and she stood, moving to sit at the foot of the bed. "For months, you've been in this cat and mouse game," he told her. "And they've always had the advantage. They have eyes everywhere, watching me and you. So, how do you make yourself invisible?"

She seemed to think for a moment. "Well, staying hidden is a good way," she mused. "My dad uses the shadows to blend in. But I don't think that'll work here..." Whenever Sophia thought hard about something, she would rant. He would be lying if he said it wasn't cute. "I mean, there's always relocation, but I doubt it'll work. They would just find us. There's also-" She gasped suddenly and he could see the pieces coming together. "You can blind your opponent."

He grinned. "Smart girl," he commented. "So, how do we blind Chase?"

Sophia hummed with thought. "Well, we have to find out how they know everything," she decided. "I'll have to check my office for bugs. Maybe both of our apartments too."

Rex nodded. "That's a good start," he agreed. "But have you noticed that they hit hardest when we're separated?" The break-in at her apartment, the picture sent to him, and now this? The bastard knew exactly when to strike.

She cocked her head to the side. "Now that you mention it..."

He smirked. "I guess we'll just have to stick together for a while," he joked, trying to get her to smile. "You're stuck with me, Princess."

Sophia sighed, reaching for his hand. "Do you really think this will work?" she questioned, anxiety and pain lacing her voice. "What if it's worse next time? What if-?"

Rex silenced her with a kiss. "It can't hurt to try," he reasoned. He nudged her. "Come on, Soph, we're the kids of four founding Justice League members. Whatever this bitch thinks they have on us can't even come close, right?"

That forced a tentative smile out of her. "You do have a point," she conceded. She leaned forward to press her soft lips to his forehead. "But if you ever scare me like that again, Rex Stewart, I'll kill you myself."

How could someone be so sweet yet so intense? Despite this, he grinned. "I wouldn't dream of it, Princess," he replied. He laid back down, pulling her down against his chest. "Now, sleep. I can see the bags under your eyes."

Sophia laughed, but curled into his chest, carefully putting her weight on his other side. "So bossy," she remarked, but he could feel her drift away into slumber. Rex smiled and placed a kiss on her head before drifting off himself.

He swore they would take the fucker down.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Will these to ever catch a break? Probably not. Anyway, I hope you liked it and please review!


	26. Chapter 26

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, it's been a while, huh? Can't believe we're only three months away from this story being a year old! Can you believe I wrote this in September? Anyway, please enjoy!

As planned, Rex and Sophia spent nearly every day together. And when they weren't together, they were with someone else. Sophia would go shopping with Danica or drop by the Manor when Rex worked late. Rex would go over to Jon's apartment or the two of them would stop by a bar every once and a while. He even went to his parents' house more often, much to his mother's elation.

For Sophia, it was odd. She had spent seven years on her own. To have someone with her constantly was a hard adjustment. Though, she would be lying if she said it wasn't welcomed. It was nice being around people. And it was made that much better by the fact that it was Rex. He was good for a laugh or a cuddle or even to just talk. He may have been quiet, but that made for a good listener.

And, well, obviously the sex was good too.

She furrowed her eyebrows, sifting through her laundry. "Odd," she muttered. "Rex!"

Rex poked his head in, eyeing her in one of his old T-shirts. "Yeah?" he replied, grinning stupidly. Somehow, it was endearing. Damn him.

Sophia pursed her lips. "Have you seen my bra?" she questioned. It just wasn't here. Ugh, between her apartment, his apartment, and the Manor, she just didn't know where anything was.

He thought for a moment. "The red one?"

She nodded. "Yeah, have you seen it?"

Rex smirked, cocking an eyebrow at her. "Maybe I have," he answered cheekily. He approached her, lowering himself onto the ground next to her. Hooking a raven lock behind her ear, he kissed the supple skin of her neck. "But I think I could use a reminder..."

Sophia rolled her eyes, but obliged by tilting her head back. "All this trouble for a bra," she murmured as his lips moved along her throat. Her eyes fluttered closed, a sigh of content escaping her. "I'm beginning to think you don't even know where it is..."

He grinned into her flesh, teeth raking against her lightly. "Guilty," he admitted. "But if you had a girlfriend as beautiful as mine, well, I think you'd understand."

She smirked. "Yeah, I am pretty hot," she agreed, closing her eyes in contentment. But this provided her mind an open window. Suddenly, she wasn't on her bedroom floor with Rex. She was in her office, her blouse torn and her legs pried open. The gentle grazing of Rex's teeth morphed into harsh bites and holy shit she couldn't breathe-

Hands gently gripped her shoulders. "Soph," Rex's voice broke through her terrible memory like a ray of sunlight in a dark storm. "Sophia, you're okay. I promise. Just breathe. It's only me."

Sophia slowly opened her eyes, his beautiful green orbs making her heart slow down a bit. She swallowed down bile along with the memory, forcing it down to the deepest recesses of her mind. Her bottom lip trembled, but she refused to cry. She cried much too often in front of him.

Instead, she plastered a smile on her face. "Whoa, I was totally out of it, huh?" she joked, shaking her head. "No more working past twelve for me. I need more sleep."

Rex stared at her for a long time, the silence between them nearly unbearable. Then, wordlessly, he leaned forward and stroked her cheek with his thumb. He then pulled back, showing that his thumb was now wet.

Wet with her tears. Tears she didn't even know had fallen. Dammit.

Sophia glanced away from him. "Sorry," she muttered, hanging her head. She hated that he had to deal with all her problems. She was sure that Mareena didn't have problems like this. No, Mareena was perfect and sweet and beautiful. Why couldn't she have been more like Mareena? Why did she have to have so many issues? Why-?

Rex frowned at her. "Stop that," he chastised, tilting her head up to meet his eyes.

She blinked. "Stop what?"

He placed a soft kissed on her forehead that warmed her to her fingertips. "You're brooding again," he told her. "There's nothing wrong with you, Soph."

Sophia crossed her arms. "Doesn't feel like it," she murmured. In fact, it felt like there were a lot of things wrong with her. Too many things. He deserved so much better than her...

Rex sighed, his palm curling around the curve of her cheek. She found herself leaning into the touch. "I love you," he reminded her. "There's nothing that can change that, okay?"

She looked up at him. "But I'm fucked up," she pointed out.

He cocked an eyebrow. "And I'm any better?" he teased. She giggled a bit and he kissed her cheek. "He can't hurt you anymore, okay? He's gone."

Sophia nodded, laying her head on his shoulder. "I know," she responded softly. That was probably why she wasn't struggling more; the fact that Holland was dead. She hated her stalker, but she had to admit they had done her a favor.

Of course, she was sure she would be paying for that favor sooner rather than later.

OoOoOo

"You're whipped."

Rex rolled his eyes, glancing at his companion. "I am not whipped," he snapped as he tucked his phone into his pocket. That had been Sophia, negotiating their dinner plans for tonight. Admittedly he had given in, but she was very persuasive. Besides, it wasn't as though he cared what they had too much. As long as she was happy then he was content-

Oh. Maybe he was a little whipped. Just a bit. She was just hard to say no to.

Jon grinned stupidly. "Definitely whipped," he reaffirmed. "Never thought I'd see the day that Rex Stewart was tamed by a woman." His expression turned wicked. "And by Sophia Wayne, no less."

Rex frowned at him. Honestly, if anything he had tamed her. It wasn't as though the heiress was known for her stability regarding relationships. "Shut up, Jon," he muttered, shoving his friend.

Jon laughed annoyingly, taking a sip of his beer. He didn't even know why the half-Kryptonian bothered; it wasn't like he felt anything. At least Rex could get buzzed, though, he didn't drink often. "Gotta give Sophia props, she knows how to get you."

Rex glared. "Why do we always talk about my relationships?" he complained. "When is Jonathan Kent getting a girl?"

Jon shrugged. "When Jonathan Kent figures out how the hell girls work," he answered flippantly. "Besides, it's not like I'm in a rush."

He rolled his eyes again; Jon needed a life.

OoOoOo

"Shay?"

"Yeah, Di?"

Diana pursed her lips, her motherly instincts had been going off for months. Something wasn't right with her daughter. "Do you ever get the feeling that our children are hiding something?" she inquired. She thoughtlessly stabbed at a piece of pasta, lost in thought. Sophia had always been an enigma, but she'd never been so secretive before.

She knew she shouldn't have let her go off to France for seven years.

Shayera shrugged, though her green eyes gleamed with insight. "They're adults now," she reminded her. "No matter how we feel, we have to trust that they can handle themselves."

Diana raised an eyebrow. "So you agree?" she demanded.

The redhead sighed. "You know how me and Rex are," she pointed out a bit despondently. "If I ask, he'll think I'm prying."

The Amazon hummed in understanding. While there was no doubt that Rex loved his mother, there was also no doubt that there was turmoil between them. He, like his father, valued loyalty above all else. There was no doubt that he'd seen his mother's actions all those years ago as humiliating. "Sophia's been pulling away too," she told her softly. "She won't talk to us if she can avoid it, even when she's at the Manor. I... I think she's ashamed."

Instantly, Shayera's face darkened. "She doesn't have a reason to be," she stated firmly. Of course, Diana had confided in her about what her daughter had gone through in France. Shayera had firmly stated that if Noël Richard wasn't already dead then she would do it herself.

The situation hit a little too close to home for her. John had been silent, but she'd been able to see his silent support.

Diana immediately nodded. "Of course not," she agreed. She knew her husband's stance on killing, but she- as well as John and Shayera- was a soldier, a warrior. Sometimes, the hard path needed to be taken. She didn't kill in Man's World out of respect for Bruce and Kal, but this was her baby. The bastard had tried to kill her daughter.

Noël Richard was lucky that his death had been swift.

"This bond between them," she spoke up. "Is it dangerous?"

Shayera grimaced. "I don't know," she admitted. "It's so rare and I've never met a Thanagarian couple who shared it. I haven't heard of any danger that comes with it. All I know is that, as it develops, they begin to know how the other is feeling. I talked to Sophia and she said that she could almost feel when Rex had been shot, almost as though she had been shot herself."

Diana nodded. "So they are attuned to each other," she concluded. In an odd sense, this was a good thing. It was fortunate that Sophia had someone who understood her completely.

She was very lucky to have such a soulmate.

OoOoOo

Waking up next to Rex in the morning was something of an experience.

Sophia had to grin as she watched his sleeping face. It was rare that she got to see him so peaceful. He was usually focused or thinking hard about something. It was actually nice to see him so relaxed. She rested her head on his shoulder, bringing her hand up to cup his cheek. Such a strong jaw he had and, well, she was kind of a slut for strong jaws.

Rex's head turned suddenly, kissing the center of her palm. "Morning, Princess," he greeted, voice heavy with sleep.

She pouted. "How do you always do that?" she complained. Ugh, he could never just let her enjoy the view, could he? Stupid dreg.

He chuckled, leaning forward to kiss her cheek. "Dumb luck," he murmured into her ear.

Instantly, a chill went down Sophia's spine, her body igniting with desire. Placing a hand on the back of his neck, she pressed her lips to his. Immediately he responded, hands finding her waist. He groaned as she reached under his shirt, lightly clawing at his chest. She began to tug the article off, moving her body against his. His hand reached into her shorts...

Only for him to suddenly pull away.

She gave him a questioning look. "What's wrong?" she asked. He wasn't one to ever pull away from her, not since that night.

Rex regarded her. "Are you okay?" he inquired, his green eyes shaded with hesitance. Come to think of it, when was the last time they'd had sex? It wasn't last night, for sure, and she'd been at the Manor that night before...

Sophia suddenly glared at him, recalling when, exactly, they had last made love. "Please tell me you aren't still bent out of shape about what happened a few days ago?" she demanded, suddenly feeling defensive. It was just one freak-out, he didn't have to take it so seriously. She was fine.

He cocked an eyebrow. "Bent out of shape?" he repeated incredulously. "Soph, you were crying."

She rolled her eyes. "I cry about everything," she pointed out. She was a sensitive soul, sue her. "It doesn't mean you can't touch me."

Rex crossed his arms and she knew she was pushing him. He hated it when she disregarded herself and her boundaries. But when you did something for your entire life, it was hard to stop. "Doesn't it?" he challenged.

Sophia almost snapped at him, but reigned herself in. Starting an argument wasn't fun for either of them. And it would just suck more now that they were more-or-less stuck with each other. Instead, she gave him a sweet smile. "I don't like it when we fight," she said simply, giving him a soft kiss on the cheek. "I'll go make coffee."

He sighed. "Soph-"

She waved him off. "Too early," she sang, waltzing into the kitchen. She had neither the patience nor the energy.

Though, she couldn't help but feel guilty. Rex, she knew, was just concerned. But she hated being babied by him, she hated that she relied so heavily on him. She could take care of herself and he shouldn't have had to walk on eggshells around her. Still, she shouldn't have brushed him off. He only worried because he cared about her. He wasn't like Noël, he wasn't trying to control her.

Sophia would make it up to him later. Somehow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A nice bit of filler fluff with a hint of angst. Very nice. Anyway, I hope you liked it and please review!


	27. Chapter 27

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please enjoy!

Sophia had never done this before. "Dani, are you sure?" she questioned, not for the first time.

Danica rolled her eyes. "Of course I am," she answered flippantly as they strolled down the isles. She had always admired the woman's unwavering confidence. There was never a moment where Danica Williams doubted herself. If she wanted to do something, she would just do it. There was no hesitation, no second-guessing. Just action. "You want to surprise him, don't you?"

The Amazon bit her lip. "Yeah..." she answered reluctantly. Of all the people to be doing this with, her ex-girlfriend seemed like a poor choice. But who else did she have? Her mother? Hell no. Besides, Danica was, first and foremost, her best friend. She trusted her wholly.

The African American woman smiled at her. "Then relax," she coaxed. On instinct, she seemed to want to reach for her hand before retracting and gently tugging her by her elbow. "So, Soph, what'd you do?"

Sophia grimaced. "You know me," she replied dryly. "Shutting down, as per usual." Why was she like this? She tried to be as open as possible with Rex, but it was proving to be harder than she had anticipated. Instinct was telling her to draw into herself, to protect her heart. But Rex wasn't Noël. He wasn't going to try to control her or- Hera forbid- kill her.

Still, it was difficult to always recognize that.

Danica made a face. "I see," she easily sympathized. Because if anyone knew how hard it was to deal with her, it was Danica. "And would this have anything to do with the bitch?"

She raised an eyebrow, but didn't know why she was surprised. Danica said whatever the hell she wanted. "We call it Chase," she offered.

Her friend shrugged. "Tomayto, tomahto." Her expression shifted to one of concern, one foreign to her beautiful features. "Seriously, are you doing okay?"

Sophia shrugged. "Define okay, D," she responded. Though, it was something she had to ask herself constantly. Was she okay? She would have liked to be. She didn't want to struggle anymore. She wanted to get on with her life and focus on her job, her family, and her relationship. But damn it all, she was scared. She had never been so utterly and forcibly exposed to someone.

She should have been better prepared. Hadn't her father trained her to deal with situations like this?

So why did her instincts seem to be failing her?

Danica pursed her lips. "Soph, Angel, if this is so serious, why don't you go to your folks?" she prompted. "Out of all the people in the world, they seem like the most likely to do something about it."

Sophia frowned. "Don't you think I've thought about that?" she pointed out. "I wish I could go to Mom and Dad." She probably would have, if not for France. She didn't want to be even more of a burden on her parents than she already was. And of course, there was always a risk. "But this bastard is dangerous, Dani. What if Chase is even smarter than Dad? Even stronger than Mom? I can't take that chance, I can't involve them..." She lowered her head. "I shouldn't have even involved you and Rex..."

Her friend rolled her eyes. "Don't do that," she snapped. "Don't go all self-sacrificing on me. We care about you, so we're going to help you. End of story. Okay?"

A grin crept onto the heiress' face. "Okay," she agreed. She sobered herself, hating that she had put a damper on the mood. She sifted through a rack, returning to the task at hand. "So, what do you think? Which color?"

Danica grinned. "I've always liked you in pink."

OoOoOo

Once the item in question was procured, the two women made their way to the food court. Sophia halfheartedly stabbed at her chili fries. "Thanks for helping me out, D," she said to the woman across from her. Hera, the daughter of Bruce Wayne and she'd been so damn clueless. How had she ever gotten anywhere without Danica's help?

Danica grinned, popping a tomato from her salad into her mouth. "It's what I'm here for." Though, as she said this, pain flashed in her brown pools.

Guilt surged through Sophia as she reached for her hand. "I'm sorry," she said quickly. "For not calling you earlier. I just didn't want to upset you again." She didn't want to hurt her best friend more than she already had.

The scientist sighed. "Considering what happened last time, I don't blame you," she replied with a shrug. "God, Soph, I should be apologizing. I-I practically forced-"

Unable to stand hearing the rest of that statement, Sophia shoved another tomato into her friend's mouth. "Don't say that," she interrupted. She couldn't hear those words, not with everything going on. She didn't want to see Danica in the same light that she saw Holland or her stalker. Not her best friend.

Danica grimaced. "I never should have done that." She stared at her near-empty plate. "I'm sorry, Sophia."

Sophia gave her a weak smile. "Nothing to be sorry about." She decided to switch the topic to a more lighthearted one. "Except, of course, that you seemed to forget to mention your relationship with Mareena."

Suddenly, Danica's face turned red. "H-How did you-?"

Sophia grinned. "Saw the two of you at the party," she answered simply. "Didn't know you were into blonds, Dani." She suddenly realized that they had never done this. They had never teased each other about their relationships because, well, they had been the relationship.

Maybe they were much better off as friends.

Danica buried her face in her hands. "Shut up, Sophia."

OoOoOo

Rex raised an eyebrow as his girlfriend returned to his apartment, a single shopping bag in her hand. "That's it?" he questioned. He had expected a lot more. Sophia wasn't a shopaholic by any means, but she was also part of one of the richest families in America. He had expected her to go all out. Or at least have more than one bag. "Should I be worried?"

Sophia grinned, a hint of a smirk on her face. "Nope," she answered, her tone definitely hiding something. "Just picked up a little surprise for you." A surprise. What on Earth was she planning?

His interest peaked, Rex made to look into the bag. She quickly slapped his hand away. "Not yet," she scolded with a grin. "I have to get it ready first." She took the bag and sauntered into his bedroom.

Rex found his eyes drawn onto the gentle sway of her hips as she walked. And hell, did Sophia have hips. Her curves should have been illegal, seriously. Especially now... He sighed. It worried him that Sophia never told him to stop. After all she had gone through, he would have thought sex would be more sensitive. But it seemed to be the opposite.

She was down for it any time of the day. It was concerning, really. What... What if she was forcing herself for him? The thought caused a lump in his throat. God, he hoped she wasn't. He didn't care about sex. He loved having it with her, of course, but not at her expense. Not if-

"Rex."

His eyes drew upwards and suddenly, his mouth was completely dry. Sophia stood there, a sultry smirk on her face. Her long, dark hair was up in a ponytail and- oh God. He was now aware of what his 'surprise' was. Clinging perfectly to her body was a tight, light pink negligee. It dipped lowly on her cleavage and came down mid-thigh, only held up by two thin straps.

Straps that he could easily draw down her toned arms, revealing her fully in just one movement.

Fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck.

Sophia's smirk stayed perfectly intact as she slowly approached. "Do you like it?" she inquired, her voice barely above a whisper.

Rex swallowed, his eyes flicking down to her chest of their own accord. Of course he liked it! It was perfect, she was perfect in it. His fingers twitched, begging him to explore every inch of her. To tear that thing right off of her and take her.

Why? Why did she have to torment him like this?

Suddenly, Sophia's lips- her full, red, and very kissable lips- dipped into a frown. "Do... Do you not like it?" she asked. Suddenly, she looked insecure. Sophia Wayne was never insecure. She rubbed her arm, shuffling nervously.

This snapped Rex back to reality. "O-Of course I do, Soph," he was quick to assure her. He was unable to stop his eyes from tracing the curve of her hips. "You, fuck, you look gorgeous." She always did, but that wasn't the point. He just wasn't sure this was a good idea. "But, um, should we?"

Apparently, that was the wrong thing to say. Sophia recoiled as if he had slapped her, her eyes glazing over slightly. Her features twisted into a scowl. "Whatever," she snapped at him. She turned on her heel and stomped into the bathroom.

Rex sighed. "Soph," he tried, following her. He was a split second too late as she closed and locked the door in his face. He leaned against the door. "Sophia, come on."

"Just forget it, Rex!" she hissed at him through the door. Her voice held an edge of sorrow and he instantly felt bad. That hadn't come out the way he'd wanted it to.

He grimaced as the sound of her hand slamming hard into something echoed out of the door. He hoped she hadn't broken anything... "Soph, I didn't mean it like that," he told her softly. "You're beautiful, you know I think you're beautiful. Could you please come out?"

Sophia sniffed. "Why should I?" she demanded, her voice trembling. "It's not like you want to. You haven't touched me in days because... because you think I'll fucking explode or something." She released a shuddering breath. "It was stupid, okay? Just forget about it."

Rex sighed again, steeling himself at the sound of her sorrow as he sat down, his back pressed against the door. He hated when she cried, hated making her cry even more. "I... I just want you to feel safe," he admitted softly. "I don't want to scare you. Princess, you know how I am during sex. What if I... trigger something?"

He heard her take a few more breaths. "You're fine during sex," she responded softly. "Y-You know I only freak out sometimes. Rex, if I'm uncomfortable, I'll tell you."

He grimaced. "Will you?" Because he was starting to doubt it. In fact, certain things were clicking in his head. That reputation of hers, was it something she had done willingly? Or had she felt forced into it to protect her family's identities? Oh God, how many times had she slept with someone because she'd felt she had to?

He prayed that wasn't the case.

She was quiet for a moment. Then, he heard the click of the lock, though the door stayed closed.

Rex took that as an invitation. Slowly, he opened the door. Sophia was sitting up against the wall, her expression the most vulnerable he had seen in a while. Silently, he sat down next to her. Some time passed between them before he carefully reached out for her hand. At first, she didn't respond. Then, her fingers hesitantly curled around his.

Sophia looked at him with those blue orbs of hers. "I don't want to live like this," she told him plainly. "I don't want you to walk on eggshells around me. I want things to be normal between us."

He sighed, gently kissing the back of her hand. He understood, of course he did. But the fact of the matter was, things couldn't be normal yet. And they probably wouldn't be for a long time. "Soph, baby, I get it," he assured her. "But you can't just ignore this. You know that."

Hurt reflected in her eyes before she lowered her head. "Yeah, I do."

Rex tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear before pressing a kiss to her cheek. "I love sleeping with you," he told her honestly. "God, any straight guy would." She snorted and he grinned. "But I love you more. Don't ever think differently, okay?"

Sophia gave him a watery smile. "Okay," she mumbled. She laid her head on his shoulder. "I love you."

He brushed his lips on the top of her head. "I love you too."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Confession: This is my favorite chapter, I think. Not only do I love having the Sophia & Danica dynamic, but I also adore the conflict between Sophia and Rex. Oh, and if you love these two, feel free to check out my other stories. The Prodigal Son (and the Forgotten Daughter) for Justice League and Legacy for Batman Beyond. No, it's not Sophia that Rex is paired up with, but two other WonderBat OC's that I think you'll enjoy.
> 
> Anyway, I hope you like it and please review!

**Author's Note:**

> Rex and Sophia are horny AF for each other, but they just don't know it yet. Anyway, I hope you liked it and please review!


End file.
